Feminist activist, teacher bell hooks begins week-long visit
By: Lauren Clark, Jessica Adams
Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
DePauw University welcomed noted professor, writer and social critic bell hooks to campus Monday to discuss and share thoughts concerning feminism, race, spirituality and sustainability.
"Feminism is the center of everything that is good and wonderful with my life because it led me to a world where I could choose my path, no longer be trapped, and finally express myself," hooks said.
Author of over 30 books, hooks will lead a variety of discussions on campus throughout the week. She had the opportunity to share plenty of her life stories with students Monday night when she hosted "A Conversation with feminist scholar/activist bell hooks" in the Watson Forum.
She credited part of her life's path to growing up in a small town near Clarkstown, Ky. in a strict Christian home.
"My destiny, the old folks told me, was different," she said. "While they couldn't tell me the nature of that fate, they encourage me to follow in the path of Jesus."
She also said her unique name represents her roots and family.
"I changed my name from Gloria Watkins to bell hooks because bell hooks was my grandmother's name and she was known for her snappy and bold tongue, which I greatly admired. And then I put the name in lowercase letters to distinguish myself from her," she said. "Simply put, I associate boldness and courage with her, so I took her name."
At Monday's event, hooks discussed the role of black culture in sustainability and environmental issues.
"Can't the earth be my cousin? Calling it Mother Earth goes back to traditional stereotypes of femininity," she said during the lecture. "Why can't the earth be fluid?"
She also presented her theories on the minds of men, and how ideally there would be no dominant sex.
"Some women can get so excited about a man's mind, but do you see men getting excited about a women's mind to this extent? No, or at least not so often. We need to reverse this," hooks said. "Not to intimidate them, which sometimes can happen, but to enlighten them. Then we are living in a world where no one has to dominate over the other, but can learn from each other."
Sophomore Courtney Knies, who attended the event, said she was presented with a different outlook on many of the topics hooks discussed.
"There were a lot of points I have never thought about, and she talked about a lot of stereotypes I didn't have," Knies said. "It gave me a new perspective on things."
"Feminism is the center of everything that is good and wonderful with my life because it led me to a world where I could choose my path, no longer be trapped, and finally express myself," hooks said.
Author of over 30 books, hooks will lead a variety of discussions on campus throughout the week. She had the opportunity to share plenty of her life stories with students Monday night when she hosted "A Conversation with feminist scholar/activist bell hooks" in the Watson Forum.
She credited part of her life's path to growing up in a small town near Clarkstown, Ky. in a strict Christian home.
"My destiny, the old folks told me, was different," she said. "While they couldn't tell me the nature of that fate, they encourage me to follow in the path of Jesus."
She also said her unique name represents her roots and family.
"I changed my name from Gloria Watkins to bell hooks because bell hooks was my grandmother's name and she was known for her snappy and bold tongue, which I greatly admired. And then I put the name in lowercase letters to distinguish myself from her," she said. "Simply put, I associate boldness and courage with her, so I took her name."
At Monday's event, hooks discussed the role of black culture in sustainability and environmental issues.
"Can't the earth be my cousin? Calling it Mother Earth goes back to traditional stereotypes of femininity," she said during the lecture. "Why can't the earth be fluid?"
She also presented her theories on the minds of men, and how ideally there would be no dominant sex.
"Some women can get so excited about a man's mind, but do you see men getting excited about a women's mind to this extent? No, or at least not so often. We need to reverse this," hooks said. "Not to intimidate them, which sometimes can happen, but to enlighten them. Then we are living in a world where no one has to dominate over the other, but can learn from each other."
Sophomore Courtney Knies, who attended the event, said she was presented with a different outlook on many of the topics hooks discussed.
"There were a lot of points I have never thought about, and she talked about a lot of stereotypes I didn't have," Knies said. "It gave me a new perspective on things."
Be the first to comment on this story