--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Privilege is not in and of itself bad…" description: "\"Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is what we do with privilege. I want to live in a world where all women have access to education, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg" --- # Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is… ![“Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is what we do with privilege. I want to live in a world where all women have access to education, and all women can earn PhD’s, if they so desire. Privilege does not have to be negative, but we have to share our resources and take direction about…” quote by Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg) > “Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is what we do with privilege. I want to live in a world where all women have access to education, and all women can earn PhD’s, if they so desire. Privilege does not have to be negative, but we have to share our resources and take direction about how to use our privilege in ways that empower those who lack it.” [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Privilege itself isn’t inherently harmful; its impact depends on how we wield it, ideally to uplift those without it. **In simple terms:** Privilege can be positive if used to help others. Key Takeaway Use privilege to empower the disadvantaged. Themes equality responsibility empowerment Mood hopeful determined Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - scholarship programs - mentorship - policy advocacy Key Concepts social justice resource distribution intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify ways to share your privilege? - What structures prevent equitable resource sharing? A Different Perspective Privilege can be limited by systemic barriers and personal blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access to education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access-to-education/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Empowering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowering/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [While in some ways I lack privilege, in other ways I have a ton of it. I have a lot of resources and power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mina-kimes/while-in-some-ways-i-lack-privilege-in-other-ways-i-have-a-ton-of-it/) [Mina Kimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mina-kimes/) > [“Our privileges are the things not within our own control that push us forward and move us ahead from that starting line. Acknowledging them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luvvie-ajayi/our-privileges-are-the-things-not-within-our-own-control-that-push-us-2/) [Luvvie Ajayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luvvie-ajayi/) > [Privilege does not operate without silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/privilege-does-not-operate-without-silence/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I'm obviously a white woman with privilege. I want to make sure I always collaborate with people who aren't like me so we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-collins/i-m-obviously-a-white-woman-with-privilege-i-want-to-make-sure-i/) [Petra Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-collins/) > [I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-am-of-the-opinion-that-my-life-belongs-to-the-whole-community-and/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“When people wield accusations of privilege, more often than not, they want to be heard and seen. Their need is acute, if not desperate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/when-people-wield-accusations-of-privilege-more-often-than-not-they/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-am-of-the-opinion-that-my-life-belongs-to-the-community-and-as-long/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Felons are typically stripped of the very rights supposedly won in the civil rights movement, including the right to vote, the right to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/felons-are-typically-stripped-of-the-very-rights-supposedly-won-in/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [In my travels all over the world, I have come to realize that what distinguishes one child from another is not ability, but access.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/in-my-travels-all-over-the-world-i-have-come-to-realize-that-what/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [With broadband access, we can revolutionize global access to education, health care, economic empowerment, and the delivery of critical human needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/with-broadband-access-we-can-revolutionize-global-access-to-education/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [“Adolescence is a period of life when the brain is malleable, and it represents a good opportunity for learning and social development. However, according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brockman/adolescence-is-a-period-of-life-when-the-brain-is-malleable-and-it/) [John Brockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brockman/) > [There are 4 billion cell phones in use today. Many of them are in the hands of market vendors, rickshaw drivers, and others who've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/there-are-4-billion-cell-phones-in-use-today-many-of-them-are-in-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/students-who-acquire-large-debts-putting-themselves-through-school/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [A basic element of the American dream is equal access to education as the lubricant of social and economic mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/a-basic-element-of-the-american-dream-is-equal-access-to-education-as/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our society - the place where all children could have access to educational opportunities to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/public-schools-were-designed-as-the-great-equalizers-of-our-society/) [Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/) ## More by Bell Hooks > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Most folks believe we are hardwired biologically to long for sex but they do not believe we are hardwired to long for love. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/most-folks-believe-we-are-hardwired-biologically-to-long-for-sex-but/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [... we need to interrogate "reverence," for idolization can be another way one is objectified and not really taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/we-need-to-interrogate-reverence-for-idolization-can-be-another-way/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Couples who rarely or never have sex can know lifelong love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/couples-who-rarely-or-never-have-sex-can-know-lifelong-love/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The power of patriarchy has been to make maleness feared and to make men feel that it is better to be feared that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-power-of-patriarchy-has-been-to-make-maleness-feared-and-to-make/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“I feel enormously blessed to be a successful black woman writer in this culture, but I have found my small fame, such as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-feel-enormously-blessed-to-be-a-successful-black-woman-writer-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Language is also a place of struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/language-is-also-a-place-of-struggle/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [In this culture, the phrase 'black woman' is not synonymous with 'tender,' or 'gentle.' It's as if those words couldn't possibly speak to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/in-this-culture-the-phrase-black-woman-is-not-synonymous-with-tender/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It's interesting to look at all the aspects where everyday Americans, many of whom are not college educated, are thinking deeply now about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-interesting-to-look-at-all-the-aspects-where-everyday-americans/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The true teacher is within us. A good teacher is someone who can help you to go back and touch the true teacher within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-true-teacher-is-within-us-a-good-teacher-is-someone-who-can-help/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Advancing the notion that there can be many "feminisms" has served the conservative and liberal political interests of women seeking status and privileged class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/advancing-the-notion-that-there-can-be-many-feminisms-has-served-the/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I love my family, even as I critique their dysfunctionalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-love-my-family-even-as-i-critique-their-dysfunctionalities/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [You must have courage to love, you have to have a profound will to do what is right to love, and it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/you-must-have-courage-to-love-you-have-to-have-a-profound-will-to-do/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-truly-love-we-must-learn-to-mix-various-ingredients-care-affection/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/often-emphasis-on-identity-and-lifestyle-is-appealing-because-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) [Explore all 541 Bell Hooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More Access to education quotes > [Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our society - the place where all children could have access to educational opportunities to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/public-schools-were-designed-as-the-great-equalizers-of-our-society/) [Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/) > [A basic element of the American dream is equal access to education as the lubricant of social and economic mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/a-basic-element-of-the-american-dream-is-equal-access-to-education-as/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/students-who-acquire-large-debts-putting-themselves-through-school/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are 4 billion cell phones in use today. Many of them are in the hands of market vendors, rickshaw drivers, and others who've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/there-are-4-billion-cell-phones-in-use-today-many-of-them-are-in-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Adolescence is a period of life when the brain is malleable, and it represents a good opportunity for learning and social development. However, according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brockman/adolescence-is-a-period-of-life-when-the-brain-is-malleable-and-it/) [John Brockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brockman/) > [With broadband access, we can revolutionize global access to education, health care, economic empowerment, and the delivery of critical human needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/with-broadband-access-we-can-revolutionize-global-access-to-education/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [In my travels all over the world, I have come to realize that what distinguishes one child from another is not ability, but access.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/in-my-travels-all-over-the-world-i-have-come-to-realize-that-what/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [Felons are typically stripped of the very rights supposedly won in the civil rights movement, including the right to vote, the right to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/felons-are-typically-stripped-of-the-very-rights-supposedly-won-in/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [As the photographer, it's challenging to make images that read quickly and are powerful, but have enough humanity and compassion. I've worked on these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-sinclair/as-the-photographer-it-s-challenging-to-make-images-that-read-quickly/) [Stephanie Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-sinclair/) > [“Demographic transition is associated with an increase in the quality of health care and sanitation as well as improved access to education, especially for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-b-reece/demographic-transition-is-associated-with-an-increase-in-the-quality/) Jane B. Reece > [As a former recipient of these services I can honestly say that the overwhelming majority of TANF recipients are hard-working Americans who are down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-moore/as-a-former-recipient-of-these-services-i-can-honestly-say-that-the/) [Gwen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-moore/) > [Success on the front of women's rights will look like a world not only with obvious advances - where no girl is denied access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/success-on-the-front-of-women-s-rights-will-look-like-a-world-not/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [We've shown again and again, in every UN report on the status of women, that wherever women control their own bodies and have access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/we-ve-shown-again-and-again-in-every-un-report-on-the-status-of-women/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Women want to be free to choose from the same range of options that men take for granted. In our quest for equal pay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/women-want-to-be-free-to-choose-from-the-same-range-of-options-that/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Once labeled a felon, you are ushered into a parallel social universe. You can be denied the right to vote, automatically excluded from juries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/once-labeled-a-felon-you-are-ushered-into-a-parallel-social-universe/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) [Browse all 58 Access to education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access-to-education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is what we do with privilege. I want to live in a world where all women have access to education, and all women can earn PhD’s, if they so desire. Privilege does not have to be negative, but we have to share our resources and take direction about how to use our privilege in ways that empower those who lack it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bell Hooks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-what-matters-is-what-we-do-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Access to education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-what-matters-is-what-we-do-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/bell-hooks-464_access-to-education_privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-wh_2371771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Privilege is not in and of itself bad; what matters is what we do with privilege. I want to live in a world…” — Bell Hooks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bell Hooks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Privilege is not in and of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-what-matters-is-what-we-do-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/privilege-is-not-in-and-of-itself-bad-what-matters-is-what-we-do-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```