The Womanist Studies Consortium

Photograph by Gerris Ferris (from issue 1.1)

The Womanist Studies Consortium (WSC) at The University of Georgia is an interracial, intergenerational, regional affiliation of scholars. It supports and facilitates feminist research on women of color in all disciplines and at all possible stages of development. Established in 1994, it bridges the isolation, social exclusion, silence, and intellectual desuetude among women-of-color researchers, students, and independent scholars within their home disciplines and home institutions.

Members of the WSC participate in a legacy of individuals and coalitions that, since the late 1970's, have privileged, authenticated, and reciprocated experiences of women of color. The term womanist, proposed by Alice Walker in her In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens (1983), links to both Black feminism and feminists of color. The womanist goal of the WSC is to preserve and appreciate difference within the context of coalition-building as a strategy for overcoming problems of racial, sexual, class, and power-based conflict. Consortium members provide material resources, networking opportunities, receptions and other social activities, and meaningful intellectual exchanges for both visiting and area scholars and students.

Akua Mma

Symbolizing the Womanist Studies Consortium is the akua mma, a West African representation of idealized beauty. Coveted by Ashanti mothers, the beauty of the akua mma extends to those children who view it. This symbol embodies the mission of the WSC to inspire and mentor new generations of womanist scholars.