An article published in The Onion discusses the issue of misogyny and patriarchy in society through satire. The article highlights the pervasive nature of these oppressive systems and the need for greater awareness and action to dismantle them. The article uses humor and irony to highlight the absurdity of how women are devalued and marginalized in society. It points out how women are held to unrealistic and damaging standards and the double standards that allow men to behave in ways that would be unacceptable for women. The article touches on the ideas of feminist author bell hooks, who has w ..read more

Frank Furedi, columnist for the British magazine Spiked, expresses concern that, in the cultural wave of obsession with race and other aspects of the collective identity of individuals, even babies can now be considered racist because they have “unconscious bias”. ” in favor of some race. “The main proponents of this opinion today are not the racists of the old guard”, comments Furedi, “they are proclaimed anti-racists”. To exemplify the reality of the phenomenon, the columnist cites a campaign of the month past of the British Labor Party that controls the government of London’s Islington ..read more

RioOnWatch is an independent news platform that focuses on the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Through its reporting and advocacy work, RioOnWatch aims to challenge stereotypes and provide a more nuanced understanding of favela life’s social, political, and cultural realities. Inspired by the work of feminist author and activist bell hooks, RioOnWatch seeks to center the voices and perspectives of marginalized communities in its reporting. For example, in a recent article published on RioOnWatch, the organization highlighted the work of a community-led project in the favela of Santa Marta. The “San ..read more

By Sriti Ganguly In Teaching to Transgress, hooks draws on her experiences, first as a student and then as an educator, and beautifully lays out how learning can be liberating and revolutionary. View original By Sriti Ganguly ‘To a life of the mind’ is a phrase from bell hooks’s Teaching to transgress: education as the practice of freedom, a collection of essays, published in 1994, delineating the role liberatory education and pedagogy can play in our lives. Education is never neutral. Intellectuals and sociologists of education, from Paulo Freire to Pierre Bourdieu to Michael Apple ..read more

Fever Ray’s latest album, “Radical Romantics,” is a bold and powerful statement that challenges norms and empowers marginalized voices. Inspired by the teachings of feminist author and activist bell hooks, the album explores themes of love, relationships, and community, focusing on the experiences of those often excluded from mainstream narratives. In “To The Moon And Back” and “A Part Of Us,” Fever Ray draws on hooks’ writing to explore the complexities of romantic love and how it can both liberate and constrain us. Through songs like “Mustn’t Hurry” and “IDK About You,” the album also addres ..read more

By Leah Asmelash, CNN There’s a scene halfway through “Mississippi Masala,” where Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are just talking. View original By Leah Asmelash, CNN There’s a scene halfway through “Mississippi Masala,” where Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are just talking. They’re both lying in their respective beds, a phone cradled to their ears. His hands fiddle with the bottom of his shirt, exposing a soft belly. Hers absentmindedly run through her hair; the camera pans down her legs. The two characters — Washington’s Demetrius and Choudhury’s Mina — are miles apart in the ..read more

The case for abolition In Against Borders: The Case For Abolition, writers Gracie Mae Bradley and Luke de Noronha take on the callousness of borders, arguing for a world beyond them.What do borders do? In conventional accounts, borders establish where one country ends and another begins. They are lines on maps, permanent and taken for granted. Borders  delineate a country’s territory and mediate the movement of people and goods in and out. They keep out the things that are prohibited: undeclared sums of money, live animals, invasive plant species, disease, drugs – and of course, unauthori ..read more

This week’s list of bestselling books offers a rich and diverse range of perspectives and experiences that enrich our understanding of the world. As we celebrate these works, we must reflect on their impact on our collective consciousness, mainly through the lens of feminist scholar and activist bell hooks. In her book “Teaching to Transgress,” hooks writes, “Education as the practice of freedom…is a way of teaching that anyone can learn. That learning process comes easiest to those of us who teach and believe that there is a sacred aspect of our vocation, who believe that our work is not mere ..read more

Why is it that primarily boys and men are committing these horrendous acts of violence? View original This commentary is by Gregory C. MacDonald, a resident of St. Johnsbury. As the citizens of Buffalo and Uvalde bury their dead from the latest mass shootings, I am struck by how familiar and dare I say “normal” this has all become. “Just another day in America!” The initial shock seems to wear off sooner. The politicians and pundits go to their respected corners, blaming each other for nothing being done. And then we all just go about our daily business, until the next time. I have heard that ..read more

The gospel shout represents hope and resilience in a world marked by division and despair. Rooted in the African American church tradition, the gospel shout is a form of call-and-response singing that invites participants to express faith and joy collectively. Inspired by the teachings of feminist author and activist bell hooks, the gospel shout represents a powerful example of the transformative potential of music. In her writing, hooks emphasize the importance of centering marginalized voices and experiences and creating art that challenges traditional power structures and promotes social ju ..read more