This letter was submitted to The Stanford Daily in response to the December 22, 2021, article, “Stanford community reflects on passing of Black feminist scholar bell hooks ’73“
January 11, 2022 Update: The Stanford Daily has updated their original article to include information about her queer identity.
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Stanford Pride Board of Directors, we commend Sophia Ibrahim for bringing attention to literary icon and trailblazing advocate bell hooks in her article, “Stanford community reflects on passing of Black feminist scholar bell hooks ’73.” We were impressed with Ibrahim’s reporting as part of The Stanford Daily Winter Journalism Workshop.
However, we want to highlight an important omission in the article, because it does not bring up bell hook’s identity as a queer Black feminist. Just as Stanford University is currently examining and addressing widespread discrimination towards marginalized groups on campus, Stanford Pride has embarked on a similar journey to combat anti-Black racism and become a more inclusive organization. This starts by acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of our queer Black community.
bell hooks defined queerness as “the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live,” and Stanford Pride is committed to creating that space and amplifying the diversity of voices in our community.
Kyle Duarte, President, Stanford Pride
Allison Martin, Vice President, Stanford Pride