BLACK WOMEN AND NATURE IN THE EYES OF ECOFEMINISM
The painting “Egyptian Fantasy” by Dindga McCannon holds profound significance for me. As a Black woman, I’ve often struggled with self-esteem and encountered discriminatory experiences in public spaces. However, this artwork offers a powerful antidote to those negative encounters.
The image of a Black woman kneeling in harmony with nature resonates deeply with me. It symbolizes a sense of hope, self-worth, and connection to the natural world. Through the lens of ecofeminism, this painting challenges dominant narratives of separation and control, instead embracing the interconnectedness of human and natural worlds.
For me, this artwork serves as a reminder that my worth and value come from within. It’s a celebration of Black womanhood, self-love, and self-care. In a world that often seeks to diminish our voices and experiences, this painting stands as a testament to the power and resilience of Black women.
https://images.app.goo.gl/HT88nTio7snxmJo99 (Source of picture)
The image of a black woman kneeling in a peaceful environment, surrounded by growing grass, baby trees, and flying birds, explicitly conveys a sense of Through an ecofeminist lens, this painting represents the interconnectedness of women and nature. The woman’s peaceful coexistence with birds and plants symbolizes harmony and balance. Her kneeling position conveys reverence and respect for the natural world. The image challenges dominant narratives of human-nature separation, instead embracing a holistic, reciprocal relationship. The woman’s connection to nature also highlights the importance of preserving and protecting the environment, echoing ecofeminist principles of mutualism and care.
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE IN MY OPINION
The image of a black woman kneeling in a peaceful environment, surrounded by growing grass, baby trees, and flying birds, explicitly conveys a sense of Hope serene atmosphere, and signs of new life suggesting a promising future. On the other hand, one can say a woman’s peaceful coexistence with nature implies a balanced relationship therefore suggesting serenity.
The image highlights the bond between humans, particularly women, and the natural world.
Through an ecofeminist lens, this image can be seen as: As a black woman myself I see that by portraying a woman in a peaceful, natural setting, the image reclaims the feminine association with nature, challenging patriarchal notions that often view women as separate from or dominant over nature.
Women naturally have a connection with Nature as motherhood and nurturing is associated with us.
In my culture for example we recognize the sacred bond between women and the natural world, often associating women with the earth, fertility, and life-giving forces. Many have taken this into account through written poems and literature connecting women to nature or the earth some examples of this are Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” and Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” explore the relationships between women, nature, and the African American experience.
Another example is the work of artists like Agnes Denes and Ana Mendieta highlight the connections between women’s bodies, nature, and the environment, often using ecofeminist principles to challenge dominant narratives.
Some Real-life examples of women’s connections to nature that I’ve come across are those of Wangari Maathai, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Vandana Shiva have led environmental movements, highlighting the importance of women’s roles in conservation and sustainability.
Also, in the past women have played crucial roles in indigenous land rights movements, advocating for the protection of ancestral lands and the preservation of traditional knowledge.
In conclusion one can say through an ecofeminist lens, this painting represents the interconnectedness of women and nature. The woman’s peaceful coexistence with birds and plants symbolizes harmony and balance. Her kneeling position conveys reverence and respect for the natural world. The image challenges dominant narratives of human-nature separation, instead embracing a holistic, reciprocal relationship. The woman’s connection to nature also highlights the importance of preserving and protecting the environment, echoing ecofeminist principles of mutualism and care.
Hi Fran,
Thank you for sharing.
I greatly appreciated reading your post as it contains many fascinating layers. First, I would like to acknowledge the discrimination you’ve faced. I am very sorry you went through that—and thank you for sharing your experience. Observing McCannon’s work, I noticed motion (to the right) in the middle of the canvas. It appears as if the birds fly toward something in the direction the woman is facing. By aligning her torso with the birds, and her hips/legs with the corn, McCannon emphasizes Black women’s equality with nature. I like the symbolism and comparisons artists make in any medium.
I enjoyed how you recognized the women-nature connection in literature as well. Hurston’s novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is quite interesting in women’s relation to nature. Janie’s character develops within a patriarchal and racist society which harmed her mother and grandmother in the decades following the Civil War. Generations of male violence against women—and Janie’s own experience with abusive husbands—emphasize men’s domination over women throughout history. At one point, Janie denies an arranged marriage to a man who wanted her as a domestic worker, showing men’s desire for control over both women and nature (Wikipedia). Further, nature symbolizes Janie’s emotions. A primary example, Janie’s relationship with Tea Cake (who she thought would be different from other men) becomes violent and the stress she experiences is paralleled in a horrifically destructive hurricane, wherein Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog; develops rabies; and attempts to kill Janie. According to Hobgood-Oster, as cultures adopted patriarchy, female symbols of power were “remythologized as evil or chaotic,” and male deities killed female/animal deities to establish patriarchal control (4). The power of the storm, and Janie’s actions challenge the patriarchy which oppressed her and her ancestors. When she shoots Tea Cake in self-defense, she breaks herself from the historical cycle of abuse her mother and grandmother faced.
According to Hobgood-Oster, initial ecofeminists believed “patriarchal cultural structures revolved around layers of symbol systems that justified domination” (4). The symbols men outlined for Black women of the early 20th century tried to treat them as property and create a social hierarchy where white men had the most power, and Black women had the least. Ecofeminism “replaces hierarchical dualisms with radical diversity and relationship, modeled on both biodiversity and the feminist emphasis on the strength of difference” (Hobgood-Oster 3). In Hurston’s work, Janie’s determination in saving herself from further abuse provides her with independence and control over her life outside of a marriage or societal expectations. And, as with the passing of the storm, Janie eventually finds peace.
Piper
Work Cited
Hobgood-Oster, Laura. “Ecofeminism: Historic and International Evolution.” The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature edited by Bron Taylor; Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas; University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, myCourses, WGS 307-7101: Ecofeminism: Philosophy & Practice – On-Line (2025 Spring CE1). 2006, 2010. Web. systemicalternatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ecofeminism.pdf. Accessed 28 January 2025.
n.a. “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Wikipedia. 30 January 2025. Web. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Their_Eyes_Were_Watching_God. Accessed 3 February 2025.
Great analysis. If possible please add a works cited so we can see which readings and lectures you reference. You might even link to some of the environmentalists you mention.
Hi Fran! I think you selected a great piece of art for your reflection this week. I am not Black, so I can’t claim to know what you feel when you see such a piece, but I can appreciate that it is very powerful. I certainly get the impression of peace and contentedness. Your connection between the woman kneeling and her reverence of the natural world is insightful — I’m not sure I would have made that observation myself — and is extremely relevant to this week’s material. I know this entire course is based on ecofeminism, which inherently implies a connection between women and nature, but digging into this week’s essays and seeing artwork like this really drives it home. Thanks for sharing.