Biography of Bell Hooks
By Radiyah Shakur
 “Spirituality
has always been the foundation of my experience as
a writer. Most writers know that our visions often
emerge from places that are mysterious-far removed
from who we are and what we think we know. Faced with
this reality again and again as we work with words,
we can only acknowledge the presence of an unseen force”.
(When The Spirit Moves You, March 1988)
Self-described as a “Black woman intellectual,
revolutionary activist”, Bell Hooks has added
new dimensions to traditional approaches to topics
ranging from feminist theory to racial and socio-economic
interactions. Born Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville,
Kentucky in 1952, hooks grew up with admiration for
literature, particularly poetry. It was her family’s
love for poetry that pushed her towards writing some
of her own works. This later led to her pursuing
a BA degree in English at Stanford University in
California and a Masters in the same discipline at
the University of Wisconsin. From there, she began
her career as an English professor and began her
journey as a published writer taking on the alias
bell hooks in remembrance of her great grandmother,
using lower case as a symbol of modesty.
Hooks first began writing poetry and later moved
on to full length analytical works critiquing the
feminist movements in the US. Her works looked at
the way in which the popular feminist movements of
19th and 20th centuries only benefited white American
women and left women of other races stagnant and
in most cases even more disenfranchised. The author’s
later works include essays and articles on love,
the representation of blacks in media and spirituality.
Hooks believes that the American society should
teach its students to develop a “critical consciousness” by
participating in their education instead of being
passive recipients. She continues to write, lecture
and provoke. Her writings have inspired many women
to take more dominant roles in society, as well as
their love relationships. Moreover, her critiques
have given multiplicity to the common discourse.
|
