The Highland Community College Diversity Committee and Pride Club are hosting “Reading bell hooks” for Woman’s History Month at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 16 on Zoom™.
bell hooks was the pen name of the late Gloria Jean Watkins who was a key figure in intersectional scholarship and activism long before “intersectional” was a buzzword.
“I’m very pleased that we have a chance to share the contributions of bell hooks with our campus,” said Julie Hartman-Linck, PhD., sociology instructor at Highland. “Her presence and her scholarship were so influential in shaping contemporary feminist theory and activism, and I’m thrilled to play even a small part in honoring her legacy.”
Hartman-Linck adds, “It’s difficult for me to choose just one passage of her work to read, and I look forward to hearing the selections others have made to share with the group during the event. I also hope those who aren’t familiar with hooks’ work or don’t feel comfortable reading to the group will come and listen; her words are powerful, challenging, and inspiring to hear.”
hooks died in 2021, making this a great time to revisit her nearly 50 years of writing and scholarship. The focus of hooks’ writing was to explore the intersectionality of race, capitalism, gender, and what she described as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination.
She published nearly 40 books, including works that ranged from essays and poetry to children’s books. She also published numerous scholarly articles, appeared in documentary films, and participated in public lectures.
For more information and the Zoom link, visit highland.edu.