---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the feminist movement was at its…"
description: "\"When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a lot of moving away from the idea of the person. It was: let's..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg"
---

#  When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late…

![“When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a lot of moving away from the idea of the person. It was: let's talk about the ideas behind the work, and the people matter less. It was kind of a gimmicky thing, but lots of feminist women were doing it. Many…” quote by Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg)

> “When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a lot of moving away from the idea of the person. It was: let's talk about the ideas behind the work, and the people matter less. It was kind of a gimmicky thing, but lots of feminist women were doing it. Many of us took the names of our female ancestors - bell hooks is my maternal great grandmother - to honor them and debunk the notion that we were these unique, exceptional women. We wanted to say, actually, we were the products of the women who'd gone before us.”

[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.

She critiques the feminist shift away from personal identity toward abstract ideas, urging recognition of ancestral influence.

**In simple terms:** Feminism should honor personal histories and ancestors.

Key Takeaway

Integrate personal lineage into feminist discourse.

Themes

feminism identity history

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

theoretical motivational

When to use this quote

- activism
- education
- cultural heritage

Key Concepts

intersectionality legacy personal narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- How can personal stories enrich feminist theory?
- What role do ancestors play in shaping identity?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on ideas may erase lived experiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Bells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bells/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Feminist movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist-movement/) [Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother/) [Great grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-grandmother/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Moving away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-away/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [There were times, especially when I was traveling for 'Eat, Pray, Love,' when, I swear to God, I would feel this weight of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-times-especially-when-i-was-traveling-for-eat-pray-love/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“She took no pleasure in using her skills to break his weapon, but deep down, there was a cold satisfaction, as if all her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-v-brett/she-took-no-pleasure-in-using-her-skills-to-break-his-weapon-but-deep/)

[Peter V. Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-v-brett/)

> [“I was a young girl buying bubble gum at the corner store when I first really heard the full name bell hooks. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-was-a-young-girl-buying-bubble-gum-at-the-corner-store-when-i-first/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [“She wanted me to remember that pleasure is political--for the capacity to relax and play renews the spirit and makes it possible for us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/she-wanted-me-to-remember-that-pleasure-is-political-for-the-capacity/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [I'm not particularly a feminist, but if you get women off the animal cycle of reproduction and give them some say in how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-m-not-particularly-a-feminist-but-if-you-get-women-off-the-animal/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“When I offered the word "Womanism" many years ago, it was to give us a tool to use, as feminist women of color, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/when-i-offered-the-word-womanism-many-years-ago-it-was-to-give-us-a/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [People ask me almost every day, "Why? You are successful, you have kids, you have grandchildren, so why?" Feminist women are seen as unsatisfied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-teresa-horta/people-ask-me-almost-every-day-why-you-are-successful-you-have-kids/)

[Maria Teresa Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-teresa-horta/)

> [The feminist women's organization NOW has endorsed Carol Moseley-Braun for president. Once again NOW has shown it is so far behind the times it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyn-nofziger/the-feminist-women-s-organization-now-has-endorsed-carol-moseley/)

[Lyn Nofziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyn-nofziger/)

> [I'm a feminist. The women in my books in recent years have been powerful characters and I love to see a woman with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/i-m-a-feminist-the-women-in-my-books-in-recent-years-have-been/)

[Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/)

> [Yes, I'm a feminist, because I see all women as smart, gifted and tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaha-hadid/yes-i-m-a-feminist-because-i-see-all-women-as-smart-gifted-and-tough/)

[Zaha Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaha-hadid/)

> [The significance of feminist movement (when it is not co-opted by opportunistic, reactionary forces) is that it offers a new ideological meeting ground for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-significance-of-feminist-movement-when-it-is-not-co-opted-by/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [There will be no mass-based feminist movement as long as feminist ideas are understood only by a well-educated few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/there-will-be-no-mass-based-feminist-movement-as-long-as-feminist/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [If we are ever to construct a feminist movement that is not based on the premise that men and women are always at war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/if-we-are-ever-to-construct-a-feminist-movement-that-is-not-based-on/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [When I started blogging in 2004, I responded to every comment no matter how nasty the reader was. I was generally polite, believing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/when-i-started-blogging-in-2004-i-responded-to-every-comment-no/)

[Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/)

> [“Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.” - Bell Hooks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/win-quier/life-transforming-ideas-have-always-come-to-me-through-books-bell/)

Win Quier

## 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 Ancestor quotes

> [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/)

[Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/)

> [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/)

[Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/)

> [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/)

[Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/)

> [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/)

[Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/)

> [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/)

[Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/)

> [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/)

[Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/)

> [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/)

[Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/)

> [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/)

[Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/)

> [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/)

[Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/)

> [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/)

Empress Dowager Cixi

> [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/)

[Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/)

[Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a lot of moving away from the idea of the person. It was: let's talk about the ideas behind the work, and the people matter less. It was kind of a gimmicky thing, but lots of feminist women were doing it. Many of us took the names of our female ancestors - bell hooks is my maternal great grandmother - to honor them and debunk the notion that we were these unique, exceptional women. We wanted to say, actually, we were the products of the women who'd gone before us.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bell Hooks"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-zenith-in-the-late-60-s-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ancestor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-zenith-in-the-late-60-s-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ce/bell-hooks-464_ancestor_when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-ze_192979.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When the feminist movement was at its zenith in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a lot of moving away…” — 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": "When the feminist movement was at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-zenith-in-the-late-60-s-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/when-the-feminist-movement-was-at-its-zenith-in-the-late-60-s-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
