Andrea R. Canaan (born 1950) is a

Black feminist Black feminism is a branch of feminism that focuses on the African-American woman's experiences and recognizes the intersectionality of racism and sexism. Black feminism philosophy centers on the idea that "Black women are inherently va ...

writer, speaker, community organizer, poet and activist.

Early life and education

Canaan was born in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, Louisiana in 1950. She was raised in a close activist and spiritual community. At twelve years old, Canaan was raped by a Methodist minister where she also faced abuse from a female church camp counselor. Canaan has also intimated that her mother was aware of this abuse and did nothing to help her child. Canaan has referenced this abuse in her work by touching upon themes of religious abuses of power and clergy misconduct. Canaan holds a M.S.W. from University of Tulane and a M.F.A. in non-fiction from the

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...

. In 2018, she received a second M.F.A. in fiction from

Goddard College Goddard College was a Private college, private college with three locations in the United States: Plainfield, Vermont; Port Townsend, Washington; and Seattle. The college offered undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With predecessor ins ...

in Vermont. In the 1980s, Canaan served as the Director of Women and Employment which helps place women in non-traditional jobs.

Work

Canaan's creative passion is personal wholeness, the transformation of shame into courage for herself and in the lives of other black women. Her work explores themes of

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

womanhood,

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

, identity labels, and

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

s between

black women Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

Bibliography

* ''

This Bridge Called My Back ''This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color'' is a Feminism, feminist anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa first published in 1981 by Persephone Press. The book centers on the experiences of women of colo ...

'' * ''The Salt Box House on Bayou Black'' (TBA)

Book chapters

* *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Canaan, Andrea R. 1950 births African-American women writers African-American writers 20th-century American memoirists Writers from New Orleans Living people African-American feminists American women memoirists 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women African-American women activists American women activists Activists from Louisiana American feminist writers