Blinded in one eye from an accidental gunshot wound at the young age of eight, Alice Walker realized that the rest of her life probably held many hardships and rough times ahead. Racism, oppression, discrimination, and bigotry all played great roles in all of the Alice Walker's works throughout her life. During her lifetime, Walker was accused of hating black men, of conspiring with white Hollywood to degrade the black family by portraying physical violence, incest, rape, and lesbianism. Seemingly, anger and bitterness followed Walker wherever she ventured throughout her life as her stories usually depicted rather "questionable" themes such as sexual abuse in her famous novel, The Color Purple. A large majority of people, ironically of her own race, shunned her "sexually explicit" work. Forums were held throughout the country in which the films' themes were hotly debated. Greatly disturbed about what they'd heard about The Color Purple these people (a large portion were African American) refused even to see it. Some demanded to know why a black man, such as Sidney Poitier, hadn't directed it. Protesters picketed outside the Academy Award ceremonies after the film received 11 Oscar nominations, including for best picture. These actions barely even affected Walker as she went about her life like she normally would. Over her whole life span, Alice Walker never let the thoughts of beliefs of others effect her unique writing style. In doing so, she exemplified a great deal of boldness and courage, and opening many doors for women that hadn't been approached in the past.
             Alice Malsenior Walker was born on February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, the eighth and youngest child of Minnie Tallulah Grant Walker and Willie Lee Walker. Her parents were poor sharecroppers but wealthy of spirit and love. In the summer of 1952 while playing "cowboys and indians" with her brothers (Alice was the Indian with bow and arrow in h
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