These essays are non-fictional thoughts from a successful artist who typically writes fiction. As an imaginative person, we learn in her own words why she believes she has attained such a powerful voice in literature. She does have an undeniably powerful voice in literature, especially for her writing on the issues of racism, sexism, systemic injustice, poverty, and the tragedy and difficulty of life. But ultimately, those dark aspects of her writing don't define her voice—her voice is instead defined by her beliefs.
When she encountered the political example of Martin Luther King, Jr., Walker was forced to change her mind about something. She was forced to believe that, technically, people can change the world, because Martin Luther King, Jr. did it, literally. So, Walker chose to believe the truth, that if one sticks to their convictions, and if one has the discipline to work on themselves, that perhaps they could literally bring worldwide changes. Perhaps one is even obligated to try.
This desire to bring change is moderated by Walker's identity. As a black woman, and as a historically poor person, and as a formerly disenfranchised member of society, Walker fights for the people who shared those struggles. In order to follow her example, therefore, the reader would have to make art like their favorite art to be a voice for the disenfranchised groups they might belong to.
