bell hooks: A Radical Visionary for All Women

“To build a mass-based feminist movement, we need to have a liberatory ideology that can be shared with everyone,” wrote bell hooks in her groundbreaking 1984 book, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. hooks, who passed away on December 15, 2021, at the age of 69 in Kentucky, consistently critiqued the feminist establishment for its failure to consider the experiences of marginalized women. She argued that “revolutionary ideology can be created only if the experiences of people on the margin who suffer sexist oppression and other forms of group oppression are understood, addressed, and incorporated.”

As a student at the University of Albany in the late ’90s, I encountered hooks’ words and was struck by how they pierced through the academic elitism of feminist theory. hooks’ perspective transformed how I and many other young women, especially those of color, thought about history, Feminism, and activism. Her work built upon the foundational efforts of the Combahee River Collective and feminist thinkers like Audre Lorde, offering a new, nuanced, inclusive, and accessible feminist framework that centered on Black women and addressed issues relevant to everyone—popular culture, love, power, and agency.

A Trailblazer in Feminist Thought

hooks’ commitment to an inclusive feminist movement defined her prolific career as a writer, author, teacher, and public intellectual, though she rejected the latter title. She made complex concepts such as intersectionality, identity politics, and representation approachable, reminding us that Feminism should end all forms of oppression, not just focusing on women’s equality. Her works, like Feminism Is for Everybody (1996), emphasized that any feminism that ignores the legacies of racism and capitalism is insufficient.

For many young women, hooks provided solace and a roadmap for navigating their own identities. She articulated a vision of Feminism that balanced a clear-eyed critique of oppressive systems with a belief in the power and potential of women’s agency. In Black Looks: Race and Representation (1992), she discussed the concept of the “oppositional gaze” of Black women, which opens up the possibility of agency even in the face of domination. Her writings continually encouraged women to reclaim power and define themselves on their own terms.

A Fearless Critic of Popular Culture

hooks was not afraid to challenge famous cultural figures or norms. Her critique of Beyoncé’s Lemonade as a “business of capitalist money-making at its best” was a bold statement that acknowledged the commodification of Black female bodies and the empowerment represented in the visual album. Similarly, she was critical of Madonna’s representation in the media, calling her a symbol of “greed.” These critiques were not always popular, but hooks relished the discomfort her questions provoked, pushing her readers and society to think more deeply.

Her rigorous critique of capitalism, even when it required self-reflection, was a hallmark of her work. In Where We Stand: Class Matters, hooks wrote about the complexities of class and privilege within society and herself. She questioned neoliberal Feminism and how class privilege often goes unexamined in feminist circles.

Navigating Complexities and Embracing Contradictions

Despite her fierce advocacy, hooks was not without her blind spots. Her views on femininity sometimes aligned with second-wave feminist politics, which saw certain expressions of femininity as inherently exploitative. For instance, she criticized Lil’ Kim’s presentation and questioned Laverne Cox’s use of blonde wigs, seeing it conforming to the male gaze. However, her dialogues with figures like Cox were always rooted in respect and a willingness to engage in honest, difficult conversations.

hooks’ insistence on always asking the difficult “what about?” questions—no matter how uncomfortable—made her one of the most influential thinkers of our time. She rooted her work in Black feminist thought but always pushed the boundaries to consider how power dynamics affect every aspect of our lives. For many of us—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—hooks provided a language to understand our experiences and a framework to challenge the status quo.

A Legacy of Love and Revolutionary Thought

Whether engaging with her writings on love, communism, hip-hop, race, or Beyoncé, hooks took us to intellectual and emotional depths we had never experienced before. She did so with compassion and love, helping countless people find a voice and the courage to speak their truths. She urged us to move beyond binary thinking and embrace the complexities of our identities and experiences.

Dr. Linda Strong-Leek, a former provost at Berea College and a longtime friend of hooks, said, “There will never be another bell hooks.” Indeed, there will not. But those of us who were fortunate enough to read her work and be transformed by it will carry forward her legacy of challenging oppression and envisioning a more just world for all.