My Conversation with bell hooks

Thanks for agreeing to chat with me today, Miss hooks.

My pleasure, Sarah.

Well, I guess the first question I have is the one that’s on everyone’s mind as soon as I say your name….That question is…What is the deal with the name? I’m sorry if that sounds rude, but really that’s the first thing that comes out of people’s mouths whenever I mention you.

I know, I know…people are so obsessed with labels. My real name is Gloria Jean Watkins. Bell hooks is my pen name. I use all lowercase letters because I think that the words in my books should speak for themselves, my identity should be inconsequential.

I think that that’s a beautiful sentiment, and your words are really incredibly powerful. You inspire me to be a better person and a better teacher. What events in your own life led to you being so inspirational?

Well thanks, Sarah. I grew up in the apartheid South. When schools were still segregated, I was nourished by my black teachers. They believed in my classmates and me. When we were forced to integrate, my life drastically changed. I was no longer seen as the bright, capable woman I was – I was nothing to these people. This experience had a profound influence on the rest of my life. I knew that I did not want to be viewed as ‘less than’ by anyone else, and I worked hard to get where I am today.

Wow, that’s horrible. When you went to college, did you find things to be the same? Or were you treated more fairly?

Of course, when I went to Stanford, I was surrounded by liberals. On the surface, they appeared progressive. However, I felt that they were just playing lip service to minorities and to women. They would incorporate a ‘token’ text by a black author or a female author, but did they really value these pieces, these authors? The answer was ‘no’.

… And the feminists were no better. These ‘feminists’ were only concerned with women’s rights as they pertained to white women. They ignored the plights of minorities and minority women. It quickly became easier for white women to get jobs, but black men and women? That transition was a lot more difficult.

What about once you became a professor? Did you feel like your students and your coworkers respected you? Or did you feel that racism was still a problem?

The other professors – I’m not so sure about. But, my students…I loved my students, and they loved me, too. I built really lasting, powerful bonds with a lot of undergraduates and graduates. People tell me all of the time, that I’m their favorite professor.

Could you tell me what makes you such a fabulous teacher? What advice would you give to a new educator?

Well, my own great teacher was Paulo Freire. Like him, I believe we should engage our students in a critical pedagogy. This means having discussions about everything – race, gender, culture, media, politics. We need to be honest in our classrooms and we need to leave no topic uncovered.

I also feel we should make the classroom FUN! We should ENGAGE our students. This is why one of my philosophies is called engaged pedagogy – we have to ENGAGE our students to be truly effective. I

Do you think students are really willing to engage in these critical discourses?

Yes, though sometimes I think we have to give them a little nudge. So many people are unwilling to admit to the current power dynamics. They think racism is over, that gender inequality ended with women burning their bras in the 60s, but that just isn’t the case. There is still an unequal distribution of power in the United States.

Right now, I see a huge need for oppressed peoples – specifically minorities – to work together. For example, Latino and black Americans should be entering a dialogue to help one another out. ESL students are the hardest hit right now – we have to increase access to bilingual education and multicultural discourse in the classroom.

Yes ma’am, I can definitely see that in my school – many Latino students as well as other English language learners are lost in the shuffle. I think we should definitely make a huge effort. And, I definitely see your point on our still having a long way to go regarding power struggles – the buildings of my school may be integrated, but the classrooms definitely aren’t. Hopefully we can work together to create a more equal access!

I look forward to it!