Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics

“Imagine living in a world where we can all be who we are, a world of peace and possibility. Feminist revolution alone will not create such a world; we need to end racism, class elitism, imperialism.”

The positive tone of this quote is characteristic of hooks’s conversational writing style. She writes in the second person here, inviting the reader to dream of a better place with the hopes of inspiring the reader to greater awareness of his or her role in the achievement of the dream.

“Sisterhood could not be powerful as long as women were competitively at war with one another.”

hooks openly discusses the danger of internalized sexism amongst women, a phenomenon not often presented by the mass media. This acknowledgement of the existence of sexist women challenges the familiar stereotype of feminists who express frustration only with men, a stereotype that ignores the impact of patriarchy on the attitudes and behaviors of the women who seek to dismantle it.

“Feminists are made, not born. One does not become an advocate of feminist politics simply by having the privilege of having been born female.”

By pointing out that being a woman does not preclude being a feminist, hooks sets a standard for women who want to contribute to the feminist movement; intentional learning about sexism and raising one’s own consciousness are prerequisites to becoming a feminist. hooks is adamant that being a woman who wants equal pay and equal treatment in the workplace is not enough.