Visiting professor uses conversation to evoke change

bell hooks, visiting DePauw as an Allen Distinguished Professor, spoke several times throughout the week as part of her residency. Her discussions were kept informal and several in attendance said this tactic was effective. "Feminism is For Everybody"

hooks' luncheon talk Wednesday, "Feminism is for Everybody," induced discussion of on-campus issues and gained an off-campus perspective.

Introduced as a woman who remembers names, hooks established her conversational tone from the beginning of the luncheon. She had everyone in attendance, about 30 people, introduce themselves and soon after addressed all students and staff by name.

hooks talked about her positive experiences visiting DePauw but declined to comment on the greek system, adding "I tend to turn off anything that has to do with inclusion or exclusion."

She also expressed concern for the University's minority population, particularly women of color, citing incidents in which racial slurs were yelled from passing vehicles.

"That's why I'm such an advocate for the transformative value of love," hooks said of dealing with issues of racism and elitism. "Listening is so crucial to the practice of love."

hooks also addressed DePauw's climate of social and academic competition.

"That competition thing comes out of ego. One way to silence the ego is to listen and respond," she said.

She asked students, faculty and administrators to consider for themselves what it means to be part of a system built on constant evaluation.

"One of the dangers is that the academy is rooted in competition," she said.

Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services Jeanne Menzel said she agreed with hooks' philosophy.

"A lot of the things she said are things I've thought a lot about," Menzel said. "It gives me the impetus to consciously practice a lot of things."

Junior Britani Hollis said she had read excerpts of hooks' work in classes and was excited to hear her speak.

"It's cool to hear her explain stuff in person to get a better idea of her overall philosophy," Hollis said.

Posse Mentor Chris Niles said he was glad the event was open to the public.

"I was in some ways more interested in the questions," Niles said of the dialogue. "Her answers were great, but it was a real, conversational opportunity."

Following the event, copies of hooks' book All About Love: New Visions were distributed, courtesy of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

-Jessica Howard;

jessicahoward_2009@depauw.edu

Coming Closer to Feminism: A Dialogue

hooks further explained her belief in the importance of dialogue during a question-and-answer session in the Women's Center Thursday afternoon.

"Conversation is a place of tremendous learning," hooks said.

Race and gender relations became central topics of discussion. hooks questioned the nature of acceptance in American culture in various realms.

The media is a powerful factor in race relations, hooks said. It tends to forward discriminatory attitudes in this country. Images of race tend to be static, and black women are commonly portrayed as the "gangster bitch."

She said these media images filter into college classrooms, and the discussion centered for a time on instances of discrimination, racial or otherwise, in classrooms. Several faculty members, and hooks herself, agreed that it is important to carefully challenge professors when appropriate.

But hooks said levels of discrimination extend beyond the media and classroom, much deeper into society.

"Do you really think we'll have a president with a name like Barack?" hooks said.

Racial issues blended into gender and sexuality conversations. hooks spoke to the difficulty people have in accepting same-sex couples.

"Homophobia is difficult to own and harder to talk about [than feminism]," she said.

hooks said she believes people must come to terms with their intolerance in order to make progress. She addressed ideas she thought could be effective in making changes. She explained that big movements start in small groups, and those groups coming together will be the future of social change in this country. The power of ideas will keep them motivated, she said, and keep others inspired about social issues.

One thing struck alumna Kate Hipskind in particular about hook's talk.

"I was impressed by how down to earth and disarming hooks is," she said. "She is redefining feminism through her actions."

- Andrew Maddocks;

andrewmaddocks_2011@depauw.edu

"A Conversation with the Author"

hooks hosted "A Conversation with the Author" Thursday night at the Putnam County Library, which she said was appropriate because "everything [she is] began in a public library."

In school as a girl, hooks was told that black people did not write books. However, after discovering "The Book of American Negro Poetry" in her local public library, she not only contradicted the mistaken beliefs of her teacher but also began her love of the English language.

hooks spoke primarily about her newest writing challenge: children's books. In one of her latest, "Be Boy Buzz," she emphasizes the importance of boys having alone time because boys tend to form their identity through participation on teams or in gangs. She distanced her writing from the traditional patriarchal view of boys, particularly wishing to capture the innocence of young boys. Also, she stressed that despite society's attitudes, boys need physical closeness as much as girls do.

She discussed the complaints she received about the book, principally from the upper-class and intellectuals, who believed it was teaching children improper speech. Defending her choice of language, she said she wanted write in a way of talking that is fun. hooks also pointed out that other influential writers, specifically Langston Hughes, purposefully mixed both vernacular and standard English into his writing to make it more interesting.