In 1997 Walker was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association. In his excellent review of the 2013 PBS documentary, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth, Fred Edwords writes:

It’s important to remember why the American Humanist Association honored her with its Humanist of the Year Award in 1997, doing so after Walker had faced criticism for depicting black male domestic violence in her novel The Color Purple (1982) and for demystifying Africa by casting a light on female genital mutilation in Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992). She had dared to question, to challenge assumptions, both black and white, and to expose unpleasant realities. It’s what good humanists do.