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cass_lit's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, and Sexism
brookeasmith17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A thorough history, Ain't I a Woman tells the perspective of black women in feminism, or rather, the exclusion of black women in feminism.
bell hooks clearly details the impact of not only racist but sexist oppression that has a very wide effect on the lives of black women throughout American history and still exists today.
It's a crucial viewpoint to the feminist movement and everyone who calls themselves a feminist, especially white women who have been at the pinnacle of excluding black women from their movement, should give this book a read.
An informative and valuable book.
bell hooks clearly details the impact of not only racist but sexist oppression that has a very wide effect on the lives of black women throughout American history and still exists today.
It's a crucial viewpoint to the feminist movement and everyone who calls themselves a feminist, especially white women who have been at the pinnacle of excluding black women from their movement, should give this book a read.
An informative and valuable book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Classism, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Death, Grief, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
acciohannah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
5 stars
This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read & should be required reading for everyone.
A heart wrenching and honest perspective on the continuing oppression of black women. hooks’ criticism of white feminism, white supremacy & the patriarchy is so well researched & presented in this book. the writing is incredibly readable, thought-provoking & informative.
an in-depth look at the intersection of racism, capitalism, classism & imperialism. though it can be a bit redundant at times, and obviously some facts are dated as this book was written 40 years ago, for the most part it holds true.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, and Classism
liaer's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This book was excellent. Bell hook is a wonderful writer who is an expert at the English language. It was incredibly informative and was obviously very well researched. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is because it seemed to jump around a little for me. It followed history, examining the slave trade, then slavery, then antebellum era, and onwards. However, I felt like when she was in each of these eras she moved around a little too fast for me. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone.
Fair warning is that there are a lot of triggering content that can be deeply upsetting. I have tried to include all of the ones I could remember in the content warnings, but please go in with the expectation that there are things that are horrific, but important to learn about.
Fair warning is that there are a lot of triggering content that can be deeply upsetting. I have tried to include all of the ones I could remember in the content warnings, but please go in with the expectation that there are things that are horrific, but important to learn about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, Death, and Colonisation
studiouspoppy's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
It was a very interesting and informative reading, bell hooks is very clear and easy to read, even though it's a very difficult topic. The only reason why I don't give it 5/5 stars is because I don't think it was inclusive of LGBTQAI+ groups, and it's something that should be taken into account when talking about white feminism and its lack of inclusivity and diversity.
The only part that mentions the question about mandatory heterosexuality is to question the academics who have written about it and their failure to act against a system considered oppressed.
The only part that mentions the question about mandatory heterosexuality is to question the academics who have written about it and their failure to act against a system considered oppressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Colonisation
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Ain’t I a Woman is fantastic. I hope it is already, but if it’s not, this book needs to be part of every conversation about feminism, every Women’s Studies class. In Ain’t I a Woman, hooks discusses the history of Black women in America. From objectification to dehumanization to cultural and gender divisions… hooks shares a side of history that gets buried beneath racism, sexism, and self-interest.
This book is not written for white women. Ain’t I a Woman can be enlightening for white women, but it is a call for Black women to keep fighting for what they believe in and keep their hope. The ending paragraphs say it best – those who are racist, sexist, or elitist aren’t truly feminist. Much of the feminist agenda has been driven in selfishness rather than the desire to dismantle the system and rebuild something new and better. Ain’t I a Woman was first published in 1981 – but 40 years later, it is still disappointingly relevant.
This book is an absolute must read for anyone who wants to call themself a feminist. It challenges the movement as it has been known and calls for true solidarity, welcoming, discourse, and definitive change. These days, we call it “intersectional feminism” but even that is not enough. Conversations about sexism need to include conversations about racism, elitism, ableism, antisemitism, ageism... all of it. Every prejudice, ever seed of hate. Between intricately crafted essays about Black women’s experience during slavery to the constant betrayals of both Black men and white women of Black women.
I can’t say it better than bell hooks. She doesn’t care about hurting anyone’s feelings because change is too important for that. I hope folks read this one, and after they read it, they analyze their own activism and motivation. It’s a powerful work, well-researched and well-spoken.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Rape, and Racism
Moderate: Misogyny
kierscrivener's review against another edition
informative
3.25
This is an important book for intersectional feminism, however it also shows its age. hooks sees Sojourner Truth as an inspiration and her speech as the origin of the title, and talks about how Truth advocated for Black women through an appeal of her strength and her vulnerability. And as she looked to Truth we can look to her forty years later. She thoroughly chronicles Black Women and the relationship to oppression, mistreatment, feminism from the trans-Atlantic journey through slavery and how 'prosperity' hid the abuse of women and made them the accursed when raped and assualted. And how this led to the myth of Black Women's promiscuity and/or degraded and made to be tough and not a full woman as she worked in the fields. Through reconstruction, Jim Crow and the then current 70s into 81. Which is where it begins to show its age in the later half.
Her contemporary was 81, and though racism is still roaring its nasty head, the landscape of feminism, civil rights and Black consciousness looks very different now then it did forty years ago. But anything I say please feel free to correct me as I am not Black and I was born in 1997 in Canada, so my critics are far from expert level or first hand.
(sexual violence discussion, skip paragraph)
The first time I rewound was when she claimed no male slaves were sexually assualted (as sexism would not allow them to practice homosexuality). I went back twice to make sure that was actually what was said. It was. It's 1981 so I'll give her a pass, but what I definitely know is upholding the patriarchy doesn't make you any less gay, and sexual assualt, molestation and sexual torture have been inflicted by many straight men as a way to humiliate other men. As in a patriarchy the idea of being a woman, being dominated is the worst you can be. And with the amount of rape that took place of female slaves, it is most definite that many, many men and boys were also subject to sexual violence and trauma.
She references Audre Lorde but does not address sexuality except to dismiss it or denounce white lesbians as not a 'we.' And in the closing chapter in a list of how white women just want to replace men in the power of dominance but she wants to destroys dominance lists lesbians as not helping women who want to sleep with men. Which I guess is in the strictest sense is true but for someone who is preaching intersectionality and how she wants to break the bars between gender, race and class. Who constantly critiques white women for not advocating for the rights of all women and then to turn and say but not women who sleep with women. That's antithetical. Unless in her 80s thinking she thinks lesbians are only desiring women as a copy of men. and yet still. To repeatedly bring it up is rather uncomfortable
There is also other notions around Black men as rapists no longer being a prejudice peddled. When I would argue that this is one of the most enduring myths and prejudices. And Black women refusing to join the movement as they just want their men to step up so they can be housewives. And the lack of Black women in interracial relationships (which may still be the case I am not sure in the United States, I grew up with lots of mixed families and my sister in law is biracial to my brother's white). A lot of it though is really the housewife thing and why Black women would want to lower their feminist ideas to focus on racial equality and reclamation of womanhood. Which to me, and it might just be that white girlboss feminism is unappealing and I actively seek out intersectional feminism but the idea of anti racism and feminism being separate is truly foreign, so is seeing the Black women in my life not passionate about both. It could be my circle, it could be that Canada is more left leaning, or I could be totally wrong.
I would like to end by recommending Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women The Movement Forgot as a great book to read in tandem or one after the other. I think ain't i a woman still has much merit but it shows its age.
Her contemporary was 81, and though racism is still roaring its nasty head, the landscape of feminism, civil rights and Black consciousness looks very different now then it did forty years ago. But anything I say please feel free to correct me as I am not Black and I was born in 1997 in Canada, so my critics are far from expert level or first hand.
(sexual violence discussion, skip paragraph)
The first time I rewound was when she claimed no male slaves were sexually assualted (as sexism would not allow them to practice homosexuality). I went back twice to make sure that was actually what was said. It was. It's 1981 so I'll give her a pass, but what I definitely know is upholding the patriarchy doesn't make you any less gay, and sexual assualt, molestation and sexual torture have been inflicted by many straight men as a way to humiliate other men. As in a patriarchy the idea of being a woman, being dominated is the worst you can be. And with the amount of rape that took place of female slaves, it is most definite that many, many men and boys were also subject to sexual violence and trauma.
She references Audre Lorde but does not address sexuality except to dismiss it or denounce white lesbians as not a 'we.' And in the closing chapter in a list of how white women just want to replace men in the power of dominance but she wants to destroys dominance lists lesbians as not helping women who want to sleep with men. Which I guess is in the strictest sense is true but for someone who is preaching intersectionality and how she wants to break the bars between gender, race and class. Who constantly critiques white women for not advocating for the rights of all women and then to turn and say but not women who sleep with women. That's antithetical. Unless in her 80s thinking she thinks lesbians are only desiring women as a copy of men. and yet still. To repeatedly bring it up is rather uncomfortable
There is also other notions around Black men as rapists no longer being a prejudice peddled. When I would argue that this is one of the most enduring myths and prejudices. And Black women refusing to join the movement as they just want their men to step up so they can be housewives. And the lack of Black women in interracial relationships (which may still be the case I am not sure in the United States, I grew up with lots of mixed families and my sister in law is biracial to my brother's white). A lot of it though is really the housewife thing and why Black women would want to lower their feminist ideas to focus on racial equality and reclamation of womanhood. Which to me, and it might just be that white girlboss feminism is unappealing and I actively seek out intersectional feminism but the idea of anti racism and feminism being separate is truly foreign, so is seeing the Black women in my life not passionate about both. It could be my circle, it could be that Canada is more left leaning, or I could be totally wrong.
I would like to end by recommending Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women The Movement Forgot as a great book to read in tandem or one after the other. I think ain't i a woman still has much merit but it shows its age.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Homophobia
aegireads's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
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