African American Hero of the Day

bell hooks (1952-)

Feminist Scholar, Author

Gloria Jean Watkins, known as "bell hooks," a name taken in honor of her mother and grandmother, was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on September 25, 1952. Hooks's education, which spanned segregated schools and the transition to integrated schools, was a difficult time. Hooks graduated from Hopkinsville High School and earned her B.A. in English from Stanford University in 1973 and her M.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1976. She completed her Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Hooks's academic career began in 1976 as she taught at the University of California and several other institutions. Her first published work was a book of poetry in 1978 and was followed by Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. This publication placed Hooks in the forefront of black women's issues centering around racism and sexism. Her works continued to focus on the marginalization of women and key issues of race, class, and gender.

Hooks has written over thirty books, including Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black (1989), Happy to Be Nappy (1999), Communion: The Female Search for Love (2002), Soul Sister: Women, Friendship, and Fulfillment (2005), Witness (2006), and Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom (2010). Hooks has received numerous awards for her writings and has held a position in African and African American Studies and English at Yale University, Associate Professor of Women's Studies and American Literature at Oberlin College, and Distinguished Lecturer of English Literature at the City College of New York.

In 2004 Hooks took the position of Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.

From African American Almanac: 400 Years of Triumph, Courage and Excellence by Lean'tin Bracks, (c) 2012 Visible Ink Press(R). A wealth of milestones, inspiration, and challenges met . . .