Alice+Walker+Biography



Alice Malsenior Walker was born on February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia as the eight child of sharecropping parents. Not only of African heritage, she also had Cherokee, Scottish and Irish influences. Often during her childhood, she felt excluded in Georgia. One of the most influencing incidents was when she got shot in the eye with a BB gun by her brother and the local white doctor cheated her family out of $250 to repair her eye (which was referred to in Warrior Marks).

In 1961, she entered the historically black Spelman College, then later transfered to Sarah Lawrence College and graduated there in 1965. At the time, the civil rights movement was going strong and many college students joined together in protest, including Walker. After her college years, she continued joining in with the causes of voter registration drives, campaigns for welfare rights, feminism and children's programs in Mississippi, along with civil rights.

Walker's works often center around African women and the struggles they go through in the male-dominated society, combating sexism, racism and other taboos. This has caused some controversy concerning how men treat women, but it's not like it's not true, right? Her most famous work is The Color Purple, along with many other works she has done.

Nowadays, Walker is still active in the civil, feminist and animal rights cause. She is well-known and well-respected throughout the liberal community.