WRITING AS A LESBIAN

in

FROM PAGE 4)

the

The U. S. continues its imperialist aggression Central America, in Middle East, covertly in Southern Africa. And there is no visible black progressive movement, i.e., a movement of blacks which speaks to the need for a radical restructuring of the political Jesse Jackson does not arrangement here. inspire me, needless to with all say, that narcotizing, "pretty preacher" rhetoric. A quarter of a million people converged on D.C. this August as in the August of 1963. The '83 March did hold forth a vision of coalition politics and it did support the Women's Movement and reluctantly allowed a Lesbian to address the marchers. But judging from the homophobic comments I heard from various marchers, we're a long way from accepting the fundamental human right of sexual choice. Embracing the anti-nuclear, the labor, and women's struggles for jobs, and not freedom does peace, strike a sufficient blow against the empire as long as lesbians and gay men, who have fought for everybody's rights, are oppressed legally and socially because of who we are.

by

all written black lesbians.

and

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THE COLOR PURPLE (FROM PAGE 6)

conflict between this structure and human nature, these characters have a hard time practicing what they preach.

to

Because of I my unforgiving nature, would've been content book end the right there, with the womyn getting it all together and the men still fucking up. But Celie is about as surprised as I am when she returns to claim her house left her by stepfather (who, by the way, remains an asshole up to his dying day) to find that Albert, too, begins to acknowledge womyn as fellow human beings with qualities worthy of his respect! Threatened with Shug's permanent disappearance, Albert must either die bitterly of acute tunnel vision or begin to notice and appreciate the things right under his nose. Choosing the latter, Albert the amazing transformation--Albert, the once abusive, self-centered man--can now sit on the porch sewing and talking sensibly with Celie.

I

reveals

that

believe the of setting The Color Purple was ripe for the changes Celie writes about. If the characters were not poor, Black people in the United States, who knew that survival of their community ensured their personal survival against white predation, I doubt that the men would've taken the womyn's demands seriously enough to change their own behaviors. Nor do I feel that such a cohesive community would've withstood so many human differences. After reading The Color Purple, I am especially proud than be a Black womon agreeing more ever that Black womyn have the potential for altering significantly the way people are told to live. Celie sums it up well when she says to Shug:

to

Note:

If he (God) ever listened to poor colored women the world would be a different place, I can tell you."

The Color Purple is now available

in paperback for $5.95.

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