Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Your Celebratory Quote
FEATURED
bell hooks’ Vision of Feminism Comes to Life
It’s not a typo, bell hooks is actually capitalized this way.
Why? Because what’s important to her is the “substance of the books, not who I am,” she told The Sandspur. Born Gloria Jean Watkins, she adopted her great grandmother’s name to pay tribute to female legacies.
And that’s the legacy she is leaving behind, passing down from those before her. hooks wrote many books about feminism through the eyes of a black woman, which were important contributions to the idea intersectionality and what it is today.
The concept of celebrating black sisterhood was extremely powerful to her, and she ended up founding a group called Sisters of the Yam, a support group for black women going through struggles from daily race issues to more serious issues like addiction.
While bell hooks’ revolutionary ideas began in the early ‘80s, she continues to keep up with the modern feminist movement and how it’s progressing today. With movements like #metoo and the fight for equal wage, women's’ voices are finally being heard.
To hooks, feminism and the empowerment of women are not about money and “running the world” because the world right now is a white patriarchal society. The movement is so much bigger than that.
Instead, she writes, “whether feminist or not, we all need to remember that visionary feminist goal [is] women doing our part to change the world so that freedom and justice, the opportunity to have optimal well-being, can be equally shared by everyone – female and male.”
ARTICLES
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Breaking Down Walls for Hispanic Heritage Month
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month and Harrisburg, PA is doing it big by throwing its 9th annual festival. The celebration actually ends on October 15, so if you haven’t already—go out and appreciate the culture!
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From Advocate to NYT Best Seller
There’s a large Filipino population of undocumented immigrants in America—and they too are working hard for a better life. Sometimes, it’s their only option to support their families back home. Back in 2011, Jose Antonio Vargas wrote a piece in The New York Times about being an undocumented immigrant. After Trump was elected, he became serious about writing his memoir which he released on September 18!
SHOUT OUTS
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Black Women's Blueprint
This week we are shouting out Black Women's Blueprint. With the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) set to expire this month, we are uplifting this nonprofit who is organizing action in DC. This organization works to research, document, and advocate for the struggles of Black women. Learn more about this group and how you can engage!
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