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Image courtesy of the UW Archives

The trailblazing author and poet professor bell hooks died Wednesday at the age of 69 years old. There was no reported cause of death and she died surrounded by friends and family.

The feminist and cultural critic was the fourth of seven children born in Hopkinsville, KY. On September 25th, 2952. Her pen name was Bell Blair Hooks in tribute to her great-grandmother. She was a professor at Stanford University, Yale University, Oberlin College, and the City College of New York.

She published her first book entitled And There We Wept, in 1978. Followed by one of her most influential works Ain’t I a Woman? Three years later she hyper-focused on more literature exploring the idea of feminism in the Black community. Some of these works included her influential book Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism followed in 1981. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center explored and criticized the feminist movement’s propensity to center and privilege white women’s experiences.

Our condolences goes out to bell hook’s loved ones at this time. Tell us what where your favorite works from bell hooks!

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