A review by phienault
Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks

4.0

i am a little fledgling when it comes to intersectional feminism, so this was a great book for me to read. it further explored and clarified certain arguments and pov that i’ve read/listened about online. it was published in 1987, so it’s not completely up-to-date, BUT it’s really an EXCELLENT book! 

Bell Hook discussed black women, the sexism n the racism they faced during slavery and then continues discussing and exploring the sexism and racism that they face in the contemporary times. particularly focusing on white women’s feminism and how white feminism has historically excluded black women (n women of colour) from it. 

Hook was a pioneer, writing about intersectionality at a time when this kind of analysis was marginal. she was also one of the first to talk about how the changes in the American capitalist economy (as opposed to the feminist movement itself) have impacted the status of women. she thus drew links between wealth, capital, profit and liberalism right in her very first book. 

imo, this book such a piece of rhetoric, well-written, insightful and certainly effective. four stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️