This Month is Women’s History Month! Because of this, we would like to post this tribute to activist, feminist writer, and scholar, bell hooks.
hooks and her life
Bell hooks was born in segregated Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1952. In her professional life, hooks was an educator. She was a professor at many colleges, including Yale and Berea College. Hooks received her PhD from University of California, but later returned home to Appalachia because Kentucky was her “fate”. Read a complete bio on hooks in the Kentucky African American Encyclopedia! The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia is a Thomas D. Clark Medallion Book! We are proud to partner with the Thomas D. Clark Foundation, here at the Association. Check that out here: https://a.co/d/bKwsrUf
hooks and her Writing
She is widely known for her written works such as “Ain’t I a woman? Black Women and Feminism”, that she began at 19. Read more about 10 of her great works here: 10 Essential Bell Hooks Books (oprahdaily.com) Her works landed her a spot in the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame for dealing with important topics such as racism, patriarchy, and intersectional feminism. Named Gloria Jean Watkins, hooks published her works under the pseudonym bell hooks as a tribute to her great-grandmother. The name was in lowercase letters, to encourage the reader to focus on the work itself.
hooks and her Legacy
The impact of hooks on feminism cannot be understated. Her works have become classics in feminist literature. There are many centers and spaces named after hooks. Berea College, one of our Governing Board Members, has a center on campus called the bell hooks center! The cell center is an inclusive space on campus where underrepresented students can “be as they are” and find a sense of belonging, according to Berea College. The space embodied hooks’ ideas that “patriarchy has no gender” and “feminism is for everybody”. Read all about this space here: The bell hooks center – Berea College
Bell hooks is just one of many influential Black Kentucky women. Others have made strides in science, art, medicine, journalism, etc. This month, let’s continue to find ways to celebrate these incredible women!