bell hooks was an influential American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. She was born Gloria Jean Watkins on September 25, 1952, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She adopted the pen name "bell hooks" in honor of her maternal great-grandmother, choosing to write it in lowercase to emphasize the substance of her work rather than her identity. Hooks work primarily focused on the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender, and how these factors perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. She authored over 30 books, including notable works like "Ain't I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism" (1981), "Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center" (1984), and "All About Love: New Visions" (2000). She also taught at several prestigious institutions, including Stanford University, Yale University, and Oberlin College. She passed away on December 15, 2021.