This syllabus is part of God Is Within Her: Quakers Experience The Color Purple, a resource from Friends General Conference. It is meant to help Quakers explore the important ideas found in Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple. The resource follows the spirit of the #FergusonSyllabus movement, which encouraged people to learn more about race and justice. Here you will find reviews, books, essays, and information about the book, movie, soundtracks, and musical. These materials can help you think about identity, faith, strength, and fairness. You can use this syllabus on your own or with a group. It supports learning and reflection in ways that connect to Quaker values and to today’s conversations about equality and spiritual growth.
The Official Website of Alice Walker
Original Book Reviews
- Kirkus Reviews (1982) “A lovely, painful book: Walker’s finest work yet.”
- Rosenfeld, Megan (1982) “Profiles in Purple” The Washington Post
- Watkins, Mel (1982) “Some Letters Went to God” The New York Times
Books About The Color Purple and Alice Walker
- Funderburg, Lise, and Sanders, Scott (2023) Purple Rising: Celebrating 40 Years of the Magic, Power, and Artistry of The Color Purple
- Gates, Henry Louis, and Appiah, Kwame (1993) Alice Walker: Critical Perspectives Past And Present (Amistad Literary Series)
- Tillet, Salamishah (2021) In Search of The Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece.
- Walker, Alice and Boyd, Valerie (2022) Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965–2000.
- White, Evelyn C. (2005) Alice Walker: A Life.
Essays About the Book
- Cushing, Dave (1988) “The Theological Experience of The Color Purple,” Draftings In: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 4
- George, S. Fragrance Praisy and Rajan, Mekala (2021) “Emancipation and Progression through the Spiritual in Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’” International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 6 No. 3
- Fortin, Pat (1988) “Celie and Hagar: Sisters in Time.” Draftings In: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 7.
- Oladipo, Gloria (2018) “The Christianity I was taught didn’t align with my values. ‘The Color Purple’ helped me reimagine religion.” The Black Youth Project
- Scholl, Diane Gabrielsen (1991) “With Ears to Hear and Eyes to See: Alice Walker’s Parable The Color Purple.'” Christianity and Literature, Vol. 40, No. 3 (Spring 1991), pp. 255-266
- Thyreen, Jeannine (1999) “Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”: Redefining God and (Re)Claiming the Spirit Within Christianity and Literature,” Vol. 49, No. 1 (Autumn 1999), pp. 49-66
The 1985 Film
- Williams, Delores S. “Examining Two Shades of ‘Purple’.” (1986) Los Angeles Times
- Friendly, David T. “Academy Hits Racism Accusation” (1986) Los Angeles Times
- Trescott, Jacqueline “Passions Over ‘Purple'” (1986) The Washington Post
The 1985 Film Soundtrack
- Jones, Quincy. The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Qwest Records, 1986
- Jones, Quincy. The Color Purple – The Interview With Quincy Jones Qwest Records, 1986
The Musical
- Winfrey, Oprah Presents Various. The Color Purple (Original Broadway Cast Recording). Angel Records, 2006
- Various. The Color Purple The Musical (New Broadway Cast Recording) Broadway Records, 2021
The Movie Musical
- Culwell-Block, Logan (2023) “Upcoming The Color Purple Movie Musical Will Include Cut Song From the Stage Score” Playbill
- Lee, Ashley (2023) “A new tint of ‘The Color Purple’ comes to the screen, more tuneful and unbound” The LA Times
Criticism and Controversy
- Driscoll, Molly (2012) “Alice Walker refuses publication of ‘The Color Purple’ in Hebrew” The Christian Science Monitor
- Flanagan, Caitlin (2022) “What The New Yorker Didn’t Say About a Famous Writer’s Anti-Semitism” The Atlantic
- Goldberg, Elishiva (2018) “Alice Walker Is Not An Anti-Semite” The Daily Beast
- Rosenberg, Yair (2022) “Don’t Cancel Alice Walker. Hold Her Accountable.” The Atlantic
Trauma and Healing
- Bryant, Thema S, et al (2023) The Healing Guide: Inspired by The Color Purple, The American Psychological Association
- Other resources on trauma and healing, The American Psychological Association