New Directions for The Womanist and New Opportunities for Womanists


Layli Phillips & Barbara McCaskill

This is the second and last issue of The Womanist: A Newsletter for Afrocentric Feminist Researchers. The overwhelming positive response of womanists everywhere and the unanticipated amount of international publicity have allowed the growth of the Womanist project beyond its original scope. Consequently, we are launching two new projects: Womanist Theory & Research and the Womanist Studies Consortium.

The readiness of womanist scholars everywhere to submit full-fledged scholarly articles, despite the fact the The Womanist was billed as a "newsletter," has alerted us to the need for a journal which better can serve the needs of womanist and feminist-of-color scholars who find few outlets for or little receptivity to their work elsewhere. The time is right for womanists and womanism to take up more space, generate more visibility, and wield more influence at the table of ideas -- i.e., within the academy -- where knowledge is "officially" produced and validated. Getting womanist ideas printed and womanist work documented -- be it scholarly, creative, activist, or technical -- will increase the reservoir of information available for the facilitation of the social and technological problem-solving which is badly needed in this era of social, political, and economic oppression and environmental degradation.

By its very definition womanism extends beyond the academy. Using the academy as a base of activity and incorporating womanists' implicit tendency to bridge the academic and non- academic spheres are contributions we know we can make, given the resources available to us. It is our hope that our project will: a) facilitate linkages between existing as well as emerging womanist and feminist-of-color projects nationally and globally, b) enlarge the definition of intellectual activity to encompass independent scholars and "everyday" genius, and c) foster the engagement of womanism and feminisms of color by audiences outside the womanist and feminist-of-color constituencies. To this end, we are launching Womanist Theory and Research, a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal devoted to cutting-edge womanist scholarship, art, activism, and praxis.

The appearance of Womanist Theory and Research coincides with another new development: the creation of the Womanist Studies Consortium at the University of Georgia. This collaboration of womanist scholars in Georgia and surrounding regions, housed at the Institute for African-American Studies at The University of Georgia and co-directed by Layli Phillips and Barbara McCaskill, has been awarded a generous, four-year Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities for the institution of a research center for postdoctoral fellows. The Consortium will sponsor three kinds of Fellowships: Flexible, Single-Parent, and Summer Seminar. Flexible Fellowships will permit up to ten consecutive or non-consecutive months of residency for one Fellow per year. Single-Parent Fellowships will allow a summer quarter of residency plus assistance with child-care arrangements for one Fellow per year. Summer Seminar Fellowships will fund participation in a month-long seminar for six Fellows per year, aimed at the development of papers for a thematically specific, edited volume. Beginning in Fall 1995, application guidelines and deadlines will be advertised through a variety of means, including Rockefeller Foundation publications, Womanist Theory & Research, The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Internet, and direct mail. In addition, the Consortium will sponsor internships to promote the involvement and development of budding and potential womanist scholars.

Together, Womanist Theory and Research and the Womanist Studies Consortium present some new opportunities for womanists and feminists-of-color everywhere. We stand on the shoulders of the womanist and feminist-of-color giants and trailblazers who have come before and who continue to work in this endeavor. They include two Black feminist organizations, personally influential to us, which we have recognized on the covers of The Womanist: the Sage Collective and Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. They also include many others, to whom we will give due recognition on future covers of Womanist Theory and Research. So look ahead!

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NOTE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER
G
erris Farris is an independent photographer who lives in Athens, Georgia, and works worldwide. Currently, she is composing two books about hair.

INFORMATION, PLEASE!:
We are seeking information about women-of-color newsletters and small journals to include in a forthcoming issue. Our directory will encompass national and international publications in all disciplines and languages. We especially are locating newsletters published for women-of-color students or student groups at academic institutions. Kindly direct all information to our mailing address listed below.

CALL FOR PAPERS:
D
oes Afrocentricity intersect with womanism or black feminism, or are these ideologies mutually exclusive? Is the description "Afrocentric feminist" a contradiction in terms? What are the benefits and/or detriments of apprehending Afrocentric theories and critical perspectives in studies of women of African descent in particular, and research on women of color in general? How can -- or why should -- womanism close the divisions among women's studies, black studies, and Afrocentrism? We solicit position papers on these questions for inclusion in subsequent issues of Womanist Theory and Research.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY -- Manuscripts:
Womanist Theory & Research seeks previously unpublished manuscripts which engage, elaborate, and advance womanist/feminist-of-color theory or research from any discipline or combination of disciplines. Submissions from writers of all genders and backgrounds are encouraged. Manuscripts (20 - 30 pp. preferred) should be typed, double-spaced, and prepared in an editorial style consistent with the requirements of the author's home discipline (MLA, APA, or Chicago style preferred). Notes and bibliographical material should appear at the end. With the manuscript, authors should include a brief, 2-3 sentence biographical statement. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return of your correspondence. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, authors should submit both a final hard copy and a disk copy in Wordperfect, Microsoft Word, Windows Write, or other IBM-compatible word processing software. Although manuscripts of any length will be accepted, final length of published manuscripts will be approved at the discretion of the Co-Editors and will be determined through the editorial process.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY -- Art Work & Photography:
Womanist Theory & Research seeks original art work and photography which incorporate womanist/feminist-of-color content or themes and can be reproduced in a duo-tone format. Artists should submit slides or camera-ready reproductions in the case of non-photographic work and reproducible photographic prints in the case of photography. Artists should include brief statements about their work and its womanist/feminist-of-color content as well as 2-3 sentences of biographical information. WTR particularly seeks bold, engaging photographs which capture the spirit of womanism for its cover; interested photographers should refer to previous covers of The Womanist or WTR.

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If you like what you see, subscribe to our new, biannual, peer-reviewed journal Womanist Theory and Research.

MAILING ADDRESS:
P
lease direct all manuscripts, art work, photography, subscription requests, inquiries, comments, or other correspondence to:

Womanist Theory and Research
Institute for African-American Studies
The University of Georgia
164 Psychology Building
Athens, GA 30602-3012

Internet: WOMANIST@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU
Fax: (706) 542-3071

ELECTRONIC ACCESS:
W
omanist Theory & Research can be accessed electronically from the Womanist Archives. Send a message to: GOPHER GOPHER.UGA.EDU. Then select "Other UGA Gophers." Finally, select "English." Look for the Womanist Archives entry.
To access WTR on the World Wide Web:

http://www.uga.edu/~womanist

HTML assistance from Mark Fennell.

All comments and questions are welcome at womanist@www.uga.edu.

THE INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES
164 PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING
ATHENS, GA 30602-3012

Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 165
Athens, Georgia

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