bell hooks and intersectional feminism

bell hooks (born Gloria Jean Watkins) has always been a leader for justice against prejudice and has challenged oppression in her literature and her activist work. She has addressed race, class, gender in education, art, history, sexuality, mass media, and feminism. No stone has gone unturned. 

Arica L. Coleman, a writer for Time states in a piece published in 2019 that feminism was in dire need of diversity, as it was based on the cultural and historical experiences of middle- and upper-class heterosexual white women. Consequently, issues of race, class, sexuality and ableism were ignored.” And so, in the ’70s a group of black feminist scholar activists decided to develop theoretical frameworks to serve as a model for other women of color, to broaden feminism’s definition and scope… In doing so, they exposed the interlocking systems that define women’s lives. These frameworks grew to be known by the mainstream as intersectionality, which was a term popularized by law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw.

hooks has continued to pave the way for justice and inclusion. She describes her book Ain’t I A Woman, as “a love letter from me to black women” – and documents what it means to be a black woman pursuing equality in a time where black women were catagorised as a lower class. The effects of intersectionality in regard to race and sexism never drew parallel – until hooks made it clear that yes it is hard to be a woman in society, but have you ever thought about how hard it must be to be a woman and be black?  By focusing on the overall pursuit or equality and understanding, hooks was able to bring the intersectionality of feminism and race together – making the feminism world more inclusive and diverse. “[hooks] asked us to consider seeing black women as leaders, as beautiful,” says Dr. Soyica Colbert, a Professor of African American Studies and Performance Studies at Georgetown University. By doing so, women have been able to come together and fight for change and justice for the masses.

Activities to try with your team

  • In your next team meeting or all hands. Open the floor up for suggestions on reading materials, podcasts or series your team like to watch to broaden their perspectives. This will encourage your team to step outside their comfort zones in terms of literature/media and discover author/creators that they may not have come across on their own.
  • Re-framing constructive feedback through the lens of bias. Try and challenge your own affinity bias as much as possible. Check yourself next time you use it as a default. How do you respond to people of different identities’? How does that differ from folks who share your identity and lived experience?
  • Think about your last 1:1. Do you feel there is a good understanding and shared empathy between you and your manager? If you were to go to them will an issue that may be challenging, do you think you would get the support you needed from them or the understanding?

New habits to make a difference

 

Got a Question?

F.A.Qs

You start with the foundation training which consists of one 30 minute video, followed by 6 bite size videos. You can then do the intermediate training which is made up of 18 bite size videos. Finally, you can do the advanced training which is made up of 8 longer videos.

You can access each module from the homepage via the buttons that say foundation, intermediate and advanced.

No. All our modules are self paced so you can take as long as you like. 

You need to complete each training module and submit your google worksheet which can be found on the individual module page. Once submitted, our team will review your worksheet and issue out a certificate if you have passed. If you have passed, you will receive a graduation pack which contains a certificate, social imagery so you can show off to your colleagues and connections on LinkedIn plus some other goodies.

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You can submit your Google form worksheet via the module page.

No. Only the worksheet is reviewed and marked. 

You can use the cheat sheet to get a better understanding of the different types of biases people face in the workplace, but also IRL.

We will share an overview of how many people have enrolled and completed the course, but we will never share private information such as names, titles or email addresses.

Yes! Each module has its own worksheet which is a Google form. 

We will send you detailed instructions along with suggested social copy and imagery which can be used on LinkedIn and Instagram. This will be sent to you in an email from our team once you have passed the foundation module.

If you fail, you will have the option of submitting your worksheet again until all the answers are correct. Don’t worry, you can take the course again for free and resubmit your worksheets.

 

Please email hello@hustlecrew.co and a member of the team will get back to you within 72 hours.