Bell Hooks, in one of her most famous feminist theories, argues that social classifications, which include; gender, race, etc., are interlinked in a way. Disregarding their connection creates oppression of the feminine gender, which can negatively impact the experience of living as a woman in society. On the other hand, Angela Davies, through her abolitionist feminism, claims that racial and gender justice are inextricably connected, and one is not possible without the other.
Whereas Angela Davies’s theory on feminism is perceived to “promote” violence through the capitalism of white supremacy, Bell Hooks’s feminism theory seems to approach the ideology positively, arguing that social interactions in our daily lives are connected to gender and race. Angela Davies believed that the state uses prison to undermine human consequences, which creates economic inequalities and racism. In her book “Are Prisons Obsolete,” published in 2003, she argued that prisons should be dismantled because abolitionists must move against and beyond the prison walls, which the state was using to promote racism and inequalities. She believed that her ideas were not fueling violence, but rather the struggle against gender equality, race, and class oppression was the one that fueled violence.
While Angela Davies, through her feminism theory, seemed to fight against inequalities that happened in prisons, as discussed above, Bell Hooks advocated for a feminist movement that looked at eradicating racial imperialism, which saw white middle-class Americans dominate women. She argued that women were the primary victims of gender oppression and that they should be equal to men in all dimensions. The difference in the two theories comes in by looking at Bell Hooks’s feminism movement as one that advocated for the rights of women and not only women but black women who faced a lot of oppression during the slavery period while Angela Davies’s theory of feminism dwells on creating social justice seeking racial equality and economic inclusion. I think both theories are impactful because they advocate for a better society. Bell Hooks is seen fighting for equality between men and women, while Angela Davies is seen advocating for prisoners’ rights.
Although these theories are seen to root for a better society, a general audience going through this comparison can ask themselves if these people achieved what they were advocating. Why was Bell Hooks so concerned that women are treated the same way as men, yet they are different genders? What was the main aim for Bell Hooks to preach for a racially free society? To what effect were these theories going to have on society? Why was Angela Davies rooting for the dismantling of prisons? To what effect would abolitionist theory have on federal prisons? Why did Angela Davies argue that race, gender, and class oppression were the leading causes of violence? These are a few research questions that can help answer the two feminine theories advocated by Bell Hooks and Angela Davies. Although some of the aims of the feminist movements have not yet been achieved fully, even in the 21st century, credit must be given to these champions of equality in gender, race, class, and social justice because they played a crucial role in reducing the implications of capitalism which they claim was the main force behind the oppression of the minorities in the society.
Bibliography
Alexander-Floyd, Nikol G. “Sisterhood Is Powerful, but Must It Be Political?: Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. By bell hooks, New York: Routledge,[1984] 2015. One hundred eighty pp. $136.00 (hardcover), $23.96 (paperback).” Politics & Gender 15, no. 4 2019. https://DOI:10.1017/S1743923X1900062X
Lamas, Andrew T. “Angela Davis (1944–).” In Routledge Handbook of Marxism and Post-Marxism, pp. 410-418. Routledge, 2020. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315149608-48/angela-davis-1944%E2%80%93-andrew-lamas
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