Celebrated American scholar and antiracism activist bell hooks explores how racism and sexism have affected the lives of Black women and their position in both the civil rights and feminist movements.

Throughout the 20th century, activists in the U.S. fought for equal rights for all members of society, but they often overlooked how discrimination affects each individual differently.

While civil rights activists fought against racism and feminist activists focused on gender equality, the unique issues faced by Black women went unacknowledged.

bell hooks is the pen name of Gloria Jean Watkins, a feminist author, activist, and academic known for her writings on the intersectionality of race, gender, and class.

Released in 1981, Ain't I a Woman was one of the first published analyses of the Black female experience, covering exclusion from both the civil rights movement and the 1970s feminist movement.