Epilogue

This chapter culminates the book by revisiting emergent gendered themes from Campbell’s literary and activist work. A close look at her writing and life’s work evidences the continuation of black folk traditions, including themes of spirituality, mother/daughter relationships, and women’s relationships with one another. Additionally, she utilized preventative marital counseling, various support groups, spiritual practice, exercise, healthy eating, and other forms of self-care to sustain her activism over time. The black feminist/womanist strivings across various spheres of her life reveal her consistent “woman-identified” agenda. Campbell’s investment in the mutual support, spirituality, and wellness for black women are undertones of her writing and activism that should not be overlooked. Finally, by reviewing relationships between the two periods of activism and trends or shifts therein, we can see the impact of her early activism and consciousness on her later activism, writing and advocacy. The development or evolution of Bebe Moore Campbell’s approach to activism and the strategies she employed as a younger woman versus as an older woman offers insight on black women’s contemporary activism and sustaining activist involvement over a lifespan.