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Defining Ourselves

© Dorothy Harris

One consistent theme in literature by and about African American women writers is the significance of self-definition to the empowerment of African American women, families and communities. Since speeches of 19th century women like Maria Stewart, Sojourner Truth, and Anna Julia Cooper, African American women have been asserting the importance of defining ourselves to the public. In literature by Harriet Jacobs in the late 19th century and Zora Neale Hurston and Dorothy West in the early to mid 20th century, African American fiction writers have continued to convey this theme.

Self-definition of African American women is no less important for contemporary writers like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker . It remains clear that it is significant for African American women writers to define ourselves for our survival and empowerment. The portrayals of African American women in literature that is written by and about African American women are significantly different from the portrayals in works by white writers and by African American male writers. The negative images of African American women to which we are generally exposed exist largely because our society has relied heavily on the images that are created by writers who are not African American women. Those images dominate literature as well as the media, and become the images that both whites and non-whites learn of African Americans. These self perpetuating images are accepted by mainstream society, even infiltrating the consciousness of this country.

The negative images of African American women created by those outside of our communities assault us while we simultaneously continue to reject them. The role of negative imaging of African American women is powerful in that it blatantly yet subtly impacts our quality of life. It extends beyond the microcosmic experiences within our immediate communities to the larger macrocosm that includes those entities that create policies that effect our lives.

Our self portrayals are not always acknowledged. In fact, the images that we create often combat with images that are created to intentionally discredit us. It has always been clear to African American women writers that it is the job of African American women to define our own selves, to tell our own stories from our perspectives, despite the combatting images. African American women, as writers, must continue to be the authors of our own definitions. As writers, we place ourselves in the position of control, of ones who are in charge of our subjects, of ones who are responsible for controlling our images and for dictating the ways in which we should be perceived. Because no other writer has been able to be a reliable source for accurately writing about our lives, we must tell our stories ourselves.

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