KOCHI: The world lost a revolutionary thinker and a fierce feminist on December 15, when bell hooks breathed her last at 69. Born as Gloria Jean Watkins, the author of around 30 books covered a slew of topics — feminism, racism, capitalism and intersectionality. Famous for her accessible language and healing words, her books like Ain’t I a Woman?, all about love, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center etc open up the feminist discourse to people from every walks of life and race.
With simple language, understanding and warmth her books changed the lives of many. hooks adopted the name of her grandmother and used lowercase letters in her name to distinguish herself and draw attention to the message rather than the messenger.
Her first book, ‘Ain’t I a Woman? Black Woman and Feminism’ published in 1981, talked about black women and their struggles during slavery, while at the same time being ruled by men in their community. hooks fiercely establish her views on early feminism which existed exclusively for white women and their liberation. For black women, participating actively in feminist discourse meant compromising the black rights movement. She says, as blacks meant black men and women meant white women, black women had to search and fight for a place that didn’t exist before.
She reflected how the abolition of slavery doesn’t mean just the emasculation of black men. The sexual assaults on black women during the 19th and 20th centuries were also a result of racism, she argues in the book. She writes, matriarchy, said to be prevalent in black culture, doesn’t actually make women decision-makers, but subjugated them under male members of the family while shouldering many responsibilities.
hooks’ writings also expose how capitalism needed women to work alongside men, while falsely labelling it as feminist liberation. She argues that capitalism makes fools out of men, making them carry out dehumanising tasks punctually.
Her idea of feminism is a society where women and men of all races are liberated from patriarchy. “The process begins with the acceptance that the American women, without exception, are socialised to be racist, classist and sexist in varying degrees. Labelling ourselves as feminists do not change the fact that we must consciously work to rid ourselves of the legacy of negative socialisation, “ she writes.