Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism

Why I recommend it

hooks examines how racism and sexism shape Black women’s lives, including within movements that claim to fight those harms. It’s a challenge to notice who gets left out.

What stayed with me

We can’t address race and gender as though they never overlap. A movement can repeat the exclusions it’s trying to change.

Who it’s useful for

Readers interested in feminism, race, and American history.

A tension or limitation

This was published in 1981. Read it with that context and alongside more recent Black feminist writing.