Michele Wallace facts for kids

Michele Faith Wallace (born January 4, 1952) is an important American writer, professor, and cultural critic. A cultural critic is someone who studies and shares ideas about society and art. She is a leading voice in Black feminism, which works for the equality of Black women.

Wallace is most famous for her 1979 book, Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman. Her mother is the well-known artist Faith Ringgold. Wallace's writing about books, art, and movies has made her a respected thinker. She is a professor at the City College of New York and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).

Early Life and Education

Michele Faith Wallace was born in Harlem, New York City. She grew up in a Black middle-class family with her younger sister, Barbara. Her mother, Faith Ringgold, was a teacher before becoming a famous artist. Her father, Robert Earl Wallace, was a talented piano player. Her parents separated when she was young, and her father passed away when she was 13.

Wallace and her sister were raised by their mother and stepfather in Harlem's Sugar Hill neighborhood. She went to a progressive school called the New Lincoln School. There, she first became interested in radical politics, which means wanting big changes in society.

After high school, Wallace attended Howard University for a semester. When she returned to New York, she became an activist. She and her mother started a group called Women Students and Artists for Black Art Liberation (WSABAL). This group fought for Black women artists to be recognized. In 1973, she also helped create the National Black Feminist Organization. She graduated from the City College of New York in 1974.

A Career in Writing and Teaching

After college, Wallace worked at Newsweek magazine. She also wrote articles for Ms. magazine and The Village Voice. Her articles about Black feminism and her life in Harlem made her a well-known writer in New York.

In 1975, she began writing her first book, which would become Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman. While writing, she taught journalism at New York University. The book was published in 1979 and made a big impact.

Wallace has taught at many universities, including Rutgers University and Cornell University. Today, she is a professor at City College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. Her writing has been included in many important collections of essays.

A Famous and Controversial Book

In 1979, Michele Wallace published Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman. The book caused a lot of discussion and debate.

What is the Book About?

The book explores two powerful stereotypes. The first is "black macho," the idea that Black men are expected to be overly tough. The second is the "superwoman," the idea that Black women are so strong that nothing can hurt them. Wallace argued that these stereotypes were harmful.

She wrote that during the Civil Rights Movement, some Black men accepted unfair ideas about what it means to be a man. She believed this created problems between Black men and women. The book mixes her personal stories with history and social analysis.

Why Was It Important for Black Feminism?

Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman is a key text in Black feminism. Wallace argued that Black women faced unique challenges because of both their race and their gender.

She felt that Black women couldn't fully connect with either Black men or white women. She wrote that some Black men blamed Black women for their own struggles. At the same time, she felt white women often didn't understand the specific problems Black women faced.

How Did People React?

The book created a lot of controversy. Some people felt it was divisive because it criticized the Black Power movement. Many thinkers, activists, and even her own mother disagreed with some of her ideas at the time.

Some critics questioned her analysis. An article in The Black Scholar magazine argued against her views on Black men. The next issue of the magazine was dedicated to debating her book and other works. Many famous Black writers, like June Jordan and Audre Lorde, joined the discussion.

Despite the early criticism, Black Macho is now celebrated. Many people see it as a brave book that challenged harmful stereotypes and offered a new way of thinking about race and gender.

Other Important Works

Michele Wallace has written several other influential books and collections of essays.

Invisibility Blues: From Pop to Theory

Published in 1990, this book is a collection of 24 essays. Wallace writes about her mother's art, her own life, and the experience of being a Black woman in America. She also discusses important Black writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison. The book argues that Black women's voices are still not heard enough in culture and politics.

Dark Designs and Visual Culture

This 2004 book collects over 50 articles and interviews by Wallace. It shows how her ideas about Black feminism developed over her career. She writes about history, movies, and art. For example, she discusses the sad story of an African woman who was put on display in Europe in the 1800s. She also analyzes how movies like Gone with the Wind have shown Black people.

Awards and Recognition

Michele Wallace has received many awards for her work, including:

• Artists' Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts (1991)
• The New Jersey Chair in Women's Studies at Rutgers University (1996–1997)
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the City College of New York Journalism Alumni (2008)

See also

In Spanish: Michele Wallace para niños

• bell hooks
• Black Arts Movement
• Black feminism
• Faith Ringgold
• Intersectionality
• Misogynoir
• Ntozake Shange