Artivism As A Tool Of Empowerment In Ntozake Shange’s Novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo

Abstract

This paper highlights artivism used by Ntozake Shange’s black female protagonists to empower themselves in the novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo. The African-American novelist integrates the black women marginalized by society and by the men within their community. Ntozake Shange’s characters are near the real world. The novel is profoundly established in anticipating issues identified with gender inequality, marriage, motherhood, social inequality, racism, and sexual exploitation. Music, poetry, dance, and weaving become forms of artivism that interplay between cultural production and activism systems. The aim is to focus on the struggle of the three young black women in the novel to fight patriarchy and racism. The female characters indulge in music, poetry and weaving to establish self-worth and contribute to changing the way society looks at them.