Bell Hooks is an American author, feminist, and social activist. Her books and essays cover a wide range of topics including intersectionality, race, gender, class, and oppression. In her work, she often emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and personal responsibility in creating social change. Hooks was born in 1952 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She earned a BA in English from Stanford University in 1974 and a PhD in English from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1983. She has taught at a number of institutions including Yale University, Oberlin College, and the City College of New York. Hooks is the author of more than thirty books, including the best-sellers Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984) and Ain't I a Woman? (1981). Her work has been translated into twenty languages and has influenced scholars and activists around the world.