The phrase “To a life of the mind” originates from Bell Hooks’ book Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, a 1994 collection of essays that examines how education can be a tool for liberation. Drawing on her experiences as both student and educator, hooks provides a framework for understanding how biases related to class, gender, and race are ingrained in education and how they can be resisted to create more inclusive learning spaces. Though written decades ago, the themes Hooks explores remain profoundly relevant today.

Education as a Counter-Hegemonic Act

“We learned early that our devotion to learning, to a life of the mind, was a counter-hegemonic act, a fundamental way to resist every strategy of white colonization,” Hooks writes. She credits her all-Black grade school for nurturing intellectual curiosity and encouraging students to challenge societal norms. This starkly contrasts the “banking concept” of education critiqued by Paulo Freire, who viewed traditional education as inherently oppressive. Freire asserted, “To think is to be more than just mechanically alive; it is to be conscious and truly alive.”

The Impact of Desegregation

hooks reflect on how her transition to a desegregated classroom fundamentally altered her educational experience. While desegregation aimed to end racial discrimination, hooks argues that it often drained classrooms of vibrancy, turning learning into a mundane ritual. She highlights the importance of radical curriculum reform to foster inclusivity and representation; a sentiment echoed in studies on economically disadvantaged students in elite Indian schools. Without such reforms, marginalized students risk being labeled as “deficient” or “slow learners.”

Intersections of Identity: Gender, Race, and Class

hooks’ analysis extends beyond race to explore how gender and class intersect with identity. Reflecting on her patriarchal upbringing, she notes, “We understood that our father was more important than our mother because he was a man.” Black girls in the apartheid South faced limited career options and societal expectations that intelligence made women undesirable. These early experiences shaped Hooks’ understanding of the systemic forces constraining identity and opportunity.

In academia, hooks found herself alienated as Black studies often ignored gender, and feminist scholarship frequently overlooked race. She emphasizes the importance of addressing these intersections: “Common experiences women shared were mediated by profound differences in our realities created by the politics of race and class.”

Class and Academia

hooks also critique how class manifests in academia, shaping values, biases, and social relations. She observes that working-class students are often pressured to adopt middle-class behaviors as the only path to success, highlighting the disconnect between classroom teachings and lived realities.

The Role of Theory in Daily Life

For Hooks, theory must be grounded in lived experience and accessible to all. She critiques academic elitism and dismissive attitudes within Black communities that view theory as “mere talk.” Instead, Hooks advocates for a balance between theory and practice: “By reinforcing the idea that there is a split between theory and practice… both groups deny the power of liberatory education for critical consciousness.”

Challenging Silences and Myths

A recurring theme in Teaching to Transgress is Hooks’ frustration with efforts to silence or dismiss certain truths, such as the persistence of racism and systemic inequalities. She critiques the “common sense” myths of family and home, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting:

“No matter how many statistics on domestic violence, homicide, rape, and child abuse indicate that the idealized patriarchal family is not a ‘safe’ space… these conservative myths persist.”

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Hooks emphasizes the need for educators to challenge traditional hierarchies and create inclusive, diverse classrooms. In conversation with Ron Scapp, a white male philosopher and colleague, hooks shares:

“The way I teach has been fundamentally structured by the fact that I never wanted to be academic… I feel that the professor is something I become as opposed to a kind of identity that’s already structured.”

This perspective frees educators to prioritize learning and dialogue over authority, transforming the classroom into a collaborative space.

Education as Reciprocal Growth

Echoing Paulo Freire’s call to resolve the teacher-student contradiction, hooks writes, “Along with them, I grow intellectually, developing sharper understandings of how to share knowledge.” While inspired by Freire, she critiques the gendered limitations of his ideas, underscoring the value of embracing contradictions as part of the learning process.

Excitement in the Classroom

hooks rejects the notion that excitement undermines academic rigor, arguing that engagement and emotional connection enhance learning. Her emphasis on creating joyful, dynamic classrooms resonates deeply in today’s context of online education, where maintaining student enthusiasm is a critical challenge.

Conclusion: The Practice of Freedom

In Teaching to Transgress, Bell Hooks offers a powerful vision of education as a practice of freedom. By challenging traditional power dynamics, grounding theory in lived experiences, and fostering reciprocal learning, Hooks inspires educators and students alike to create classrooms that are not just spaces of learning but arenas of liberation.