A Womanist Perspective: The Glass Half Empty is a Negative View of Life

As Winsome Sears so poignantly asks, “Are you going to look at the glass as half full or as half empty? Because if it’s half empty, that’s a negative view of life.” This question isn’t just a rhetorical musing; it is a call to action—especially for women, and more specifically, Black women, to reevaluate how we see ourselves and our communities. It’s time to challenge the nefarious agendas that thrive on division, victimhood, and the perpetuation of scarcity. Fannie Lou Hamer, in her iconic “Is It Too Late?” speech, echoes this urgency, questioning whether we’ve given up on hope or whether we will press forward with unwavering determination. 

Womanism is more than a movement; it is a way of living that embraces resilience, love, and the audacious belief in abundance. It calls us to see the glass not just as half full but as brimming with possibility. For too long, systems have worked to convince women, particularly Black women, that we are stuck in the cycles of lack—lack of resources, lack of opportunity, and lack of unity. But the truth is, we’ve always created more with less. We’ve turned ashes into beauty, burdens into blessings, and oppression into opportunity. 

The narratives fed to us by those in power often paint us as victims, but womanism rejects that view. It refuses to see struggle as the defining story of our lives. Like Fannie Lou Hamer, who knew that despair was not an option even when the odds were stacked against her, we must recognize that our worth is not tied to what others give or take away. 

Sisters, this is our affirmation for 2025, "We are architects of abundance, shaping our lives with courage, faith, and love. We embrace our fullness, grounded in the strength of community and the limitless power within us to create, uplift, and thrive."

Together, we build, uplift, and thrive. When we view the glass as half full, we don’t deny reality—we shape it. 

It’s not too late to choose a perspective that heals, empowers, and unites. Womanism asks us to be courageous enough to see beyond division, daring enough to demand justice, and compassionate enough to love ourselves and each other fiercely. The glass isn’t just half full—it’s overflowing. Let’s live like it.