The inclusion of Gloria Jean Watkins (better known by her pen name bell hooks) in this piece warrants little debate.

It’s hard to argue against any author being considered a worldbuilder as, through storytelling, they not only build a world but invite others to imagine it in different ways. But bell hooks’ presence here isn’t ‘all about love’ of her novels, it’s about inspiring in all of us ‘the will to change’. Watkins grew up during segregation
and her work is informed by the intersectionality of love, race, class, gender, sexuality and feminism.

Through her books, her life’s works contribute to trying to dismantle the psychosocial gap between Black men and Black women, opening the grounds for a more positive interaction between the groups by allowing them to overcome tensions through empathy.

A strong feminist, her work never looked to wallow in self-sympathy. Instead, with its emphasis on the human, her output generated an urgency to improve.

The lessons Watkins wanted to teach us are lessons that humanity can continue to learn from. It comes as no surprise that her novels are still being read by – and are empowering – young Black women of today.

A perfect summary of bell hooks is via her stylistic decision to decapitalise her author name, which she borrowed from her grandmother, so as to “focus attention on her message rather than herself”.

A giving individual who never allowed the injustice of the world to dampen her hope, bell hooks left a legacy that continues to give us all hope – hope that the world we live in can continue to improve, making space for those who’ve been constantly cast aside.