“Feminism claims to include all women, but a lot of times, we don’t see the issues that pertain to Black women and women of color,” DeeVine says. “During that time [in the military], I was exposed to a lot of different issues that I dealt with just being a Black woman in a leadership position. That’s when I kind of realized the differences and started doing more research.”
In her research, she found works by Alice Walker, who first coined the term “womanism.” Her learning was followed by a self-care journey and a newfound ability to affirm herself.