Summary

“Legacy” by Rebecca Walker is the fifth essay in this anthology. In it, Walker recounts the numerous legendary women writers who passed through her home as a result of their association with her mother, Alice Walker, who was also a writer. Walker’s early fascination with these women and the written word led to her beginning to explore writing herself. After witnessing a domestic violence incident in the street, Walker wrote about it. She says that piece garnered attention at her school and inspired her to try to initiate conversations about difficult topics, complicated identities, and more through her writing. Her own mixed-race heritage informs her work and her understanding of other, non-conventional identities held by individuals around the world, so Walker hopes “each of [her] books creates a point of connection for people who may not...