Remembering Pivotal Feminist Theorist, Brilliant Thinker + Writer bell hooks
Black feminist theorist, activist and author, the beloved bell hooks (who preferred to spell her name lowercase in order to de-emphasize individualism) passed away today at the age of 69. As a pillar of the feminist movement as well as an inspiration for many, hooks created work (such as Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism and Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center) that uncovered intersections of race, gender and class in groundbreaking, liberating ways. She made brilliant and oftentimes complex ideas wholly accessible to all readers. One of her theories—that remains remarkably relevant—is on the radical power of love to enable change. “I’m talking about a love that is transformative, that challenges us in both our private and our civic lives. I’m so moved often when I think of the civil rights movement, because I see it as a great movement for social justice that was rooted in love and that politicized the notion of love, that said: real love will change you,” she said in a previous interview with NPR, where you can learn more about her seminal work and honor her enduring legacy.
Image courtesy of Karjean Levine/Getty Images
Via npr.org link opens in a new window
