RIP bell hooks

[WildBactrian]

Just that really. I thought folks might like to share responses to her work here.

What a loss. Rest her soul.
We'd be about the same age. "Ain't I a woman" was a gift from a friend of mine, back in the day.

I always liked that she referred to "white supremacist capitalist patriarchy" preferring it to "intersectionality".
WSCP being so much clearer.

Also, that she felt that love, as in loving yourself, and who you are, as a black girl or woman, was so vitally important.

Around 8 or 9 years ago, I went to a talk of hers in London. I'm never good at remembering actual words verbatim (really in awe of all t hose of you who can just reel off sections of speeches!) But I left just feeling a sense of euphoria, such validation, just 'yeah!!!'.

And I do remember something she said. She said 'there are many white women who just want to become their brothers and fathers'. And that really struck me, and I believed it to be true. Not only of white women, but lots of people who say they want equality, when actually they just want to reorder who is at the top.

bell hooks was about radical change. About the world being different, not more of the same. Most of what I hear today about us inching towards equal pay, inching towards equal representation in politics, inching towards fair treatment of our children in schools, or our treatment in maternal care.

Not for bell hooks. A true radical, which is actually the only way. I never understood people who said 'I'm feminist (or whatever you might like to call yourself if that isn't the term for you) but I'm not radical'. How is that possible, then?

RIP bell hooks.

Oh Jamdown it was my delight to read your post. I'd been thinking how sad that no one had added to the thread. You describe her essence so well.

RIP bell hooks. I read Aint I a woman a while ago think i need to pick it up again! Great words Jamdown thank you for sharing. Older I get the more futile seeking equality seems seeing as the structure of society was set up by WSCP and is more engrained with globalisation.

RIP

I found her work profound and beautiful. Her death is a deep loss, especially as she was so young relatively.

I've had this username for a while, varying it slightly from time to time. No one ever seemed to recognise it. I don't know whether to keep it now or change it.

Ah @bhooks you must keep your name for sure.