True resistance begins with people confronting pain... and wanting to do something to change it

True resistance begins with people confronting pain... and wanting to do something to change it

In her work, bell hooks emphasizes the importance of confronting pain and actively seeking to change it as a crucial aspect of resistance. She argues that true resistance begins with individuals acknowledging and addressing the sources of their suffering, and then taking action to challenge and transform those oppressive systems.

For hooks, resistance is not just about protesting or speaking out against injustice, but about actively working towards creating a more just and equitable society. This requires individuals to not only recognize their own pain and the pain of others, but to also be willing to do the hard work of dismantling systems of oppression and creating new ways of being in the world.

One of the key aspects of hooks' work is her emphasis on the intersectionality of oppression, and the ways in which different forms of oppression are interconnected and reinforce each other. She argues that in order to truly resist and create change, individuals must be willing to confront and challenge all forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism.

In her book "Feminism is for Everybody", hooks writes, "To resist oppression, we must confront the pain it causes, both in ourselves and in others. We must be willing to do the hard work of challenging and changing the systems that perpetuate that pain." This statement encapsulates hooks' belief that true resistance requires individuals to not only acknowledge their own pain, but to also be willing to stand in solidarity with others who are suffering and work towards creating a more just and equitable world for all.