Last year, I wrote a piece about black female writers. While doing my research, I remember finding the name of Bell hooks on many occasions. However, I don’t know why I didn’t include her name in the written lists. The other occasion when I heard her name was at a two-panel discussion about black women, which I attended. Her name was constantly repeated among the panellists, who said she was a great influence on their development as writers, poets, activists, and feminists.
After hearing so much about her, I decided that it was time that I learn more about who she is and what she has done for the black community. So, I invite you as well to join this learning journey with me.
Bell hooks is the pseudonym of Gloria Jean Watkins, who was born on the 25th of September, 1952, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States of America, where she experienced segregation. She is a writer, scholar, and activist who has studied and critiqued topics such as race, gender, class, and identity of black women. She studied at three universities where she obtained her degrees, master’s and doctoral.
The first time I saw her last name spelt in lowercase letters, I thought it was a mistake. It drew my attention. According to the reading from Britannica, she intends that individuals will focus on her message and not on her. Hooks was her great-grandmother’s last name which she adopted to honour the legacy of her female ancestors.
Bell hooks has developed the Elbell hooks Institute where she hosts discussions with other scholars, orators, and activists about topics such as patriarchy, feminism, racism, violence, spirituality, and so on. For example, she has guest speakers such as Gloria Steinem, Berttina Love, Damon Young, and others. This institute has become an international reference for discussions on these topics.
During the years, hooks has centralised her thoughts and critiques on the following points:
- Feminism is not only about equality. It goes beyond this; it is to end sexism and oppression. Men are not our enemy; it’s the patriarchal system. We need to change it, not to adapt it.
- She emphasises that it’s important to dig in more to feminism, not to stay with what is heard in the media. Go beyond to understand that it is not about women who want to be equal to men or create an anti-men movement.
- It’s important to confront and transform the inter-enemy that has been instilled in us as children before facing the sexist system. For example, to judge one and another and be hassled among ourselves.
- She argues that it’s important to establish a feminist-gender equality education policy at school, so the future generation of women and men can grow up without sexism. I recall that in 2017, in Finland, each student in the ninth grade was given a free copy (translated) of the book We Should All Be Feminists, written by Chimamanda Ngozi.
- Sisterhood is a significant tool to combat and transform the system.
In an interview conducted by David Remnick for The New Yorker Radio Hour in November, 2017, she stresses that males who commit violence against women mostly had a violent background in their childhood as well as in the way they we grew up.
Another highlight of the interview is that “patriarchy doesn’t have a gender”. Parenting plays a fundamental role in fighting the patriarchal system; it is necessary to raise boys and girls the same way. This last point made me recall a friend who is the mother of twin boys. One day, while we were conversing, she said that she didn’t want to teach her boys not to be sentimental. For example, to tell them, “Boys don’t cry”. On the contrary, she wants them to learn to have feelings. I think this is an essential tool for all parents and society.
“If we don’t try to understand the male psyche, we cannot solve the problem”.
Bell hooks
Photo taken from Ebell hooks Institute Facebook page.
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