bell hooks (1952-)
bell hooks is a venerable force leading the Black feminist struggle against racism, sexism, capitalism, patriarchy and imperialism.
As a writer, scholar, feminist and social critic, she has used her platform and prestige to unrelentlessly speak out against white supremacy. Over the course of her career, hooks has written a number of books exploring the systems of oppression that perpetuate racial inequality and offer transgressive solutions to end these issues.
In Ain’t I A Woman, a work that is a classic in the feminist and Black liberation canon, bell hooks chronicles Black women’s history in America from slavery to the 1970s.
This work is regarded as a necessary read for anyone interested in Black women’s issues, as it provides a brilliant historical account of the women’s experiences during enslavement and demonstrates the true intentions of white women involved in the abolition, suffrage, and feminist movements.
bell hooks has played a defining role in the intellectual development of young Black feminists, activists, and academics as they come to terms with their identity and attempt to construct radical approaches to dismantling white supremacy.
She has been ranked as one of the most influential thinkers by Publishers Weekly and The Atlantic Monthly and she makes every effort to be accessible to the public by stepping outside the confines of academia and lecturing in public venues.
Recently, hooks joined political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry in conversation at The New School, where hooks is currently a scholar-in-residence.
