“The personal is political,” was a new idea to me when I picked up Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks, the first in a trilogy of books on teaching that detail her pedagogy in the university classroom. hooks writes that “the ability to see and describe one’s own reality is a significant step in the long process of self-recovery, but it is only the beginning.” Through individuation and storytelling, one can recover from “imperialist white-supremicist capitalist patriarchy,” as hooks describes it, and that this recovery is a statement against these political ideologies and the systems they built. 

(AN ASIDE…I heard a recording of hooks speaking at a college and saying the entire phrase “imperialist white-supremicist capitalist patriarchy,” without break or breath. The crowd boomed tremendous applause which she seemed to not expect, was a bit caught off guard by, and then chuckled, enjoying the response a moment before continuing her talk. This brought me a lot of joy as did hearing her speak in general. The talk is linked here if you’re interested.)

In the movement for self-directed education or SDE (a term hooks uses in Teaching Community, which makes me wonder the origins of it… anyone know?), we have a term called deschooling which I think is the same process hooks describes in the quote above. It is about reclaiming a sense of self outside of what the schoolish model projects as the “ideal.” This schoolish model is based on imperialist white-supremicist capitalist patriarchy (what a catchphrase, god, she’s good) because conventional schooling is based on that ideology as well.

Doubtful of that assertion? Look at the power dynamic of hierarchy from teacher to students, the measurement of students’ learning based on tests, and students’ personal bodily autonomies being turned over to teachers—seems not unlike a lot of the other institutions of this imperialist capitalism. Then add in the disparities in schooling for white kids vs kids of color and you see white supremacy in action, and don’t forget the disparities between expectations for boys vs girls with little safe space for gender fluid folks, and there’s the patriarchy.

In lots of ways I’m still deschooling, still trying to see myself as having the power to construct the world of my learning rather than be led through one that is controlled by others, a victim of my circumstances. One where I’m not reaching for an ideal set by others, but being where I am and in that, making space to consider what makes me happy and pursue it—this is my impression of what hooks means in the original quote by seeing/describing “one’s reality.” My process is very individualized, but I’ve had lots of encouragement and support (many of you reading this have likely been there along the way to offer help, thank you). I believe this process can happen in community, just as hooks says, through creating new partnership-based paradigms of school and I think it’s what a lot of SDE spaces strive for.

Can these SDE spaces re-create the same imperialist white-supremicist capitalist patriarchal ideologies, though? Absolutely. And especially if the people who first create them have not become aware of how these ideologies live in themselves and are actively doing the work of, seeing and “describing one’s reality.” 

I am starting to believe that aspects partnership-based paradigm can be used between student and teacher in the conventional system, though the student is inherently not equal in power to the teacher. If there is consent from students on what is being asked of them and space for them to determine it too, there can be partnership. And if those who have the power in those conventional systems, largely teachers and administrators, share it with everyone else and encourage the growth of everyone’s unique learning realities without blind indoctrination or removal of others freedoms, there can be partnership. It is a lot of work to redistribute power in these systems, I think that’s why a lot of people simply don’t try and a lot of others simply write off the possibility and, instead, want to create new paradigms. If you want more examples of what it could look like, Teaching to Transgress is a good place to start.

Ultimately, this ideology shift comes down to relationship. Relationship with the self, unf*cking one’s own self from these ideologies (which is a habitual practice, not a one time fix), and relationship with others by trying to collaborate and work together. I’m grateful to have experienced relationship with bell hooks through her writing as it has transformed so much of my perception of the world and so much of my perception of myself. I think often of her 6 aspects of love and will leave them here as a door into building equitable relationships to transform old paradigms…

“When we are loving we openly and honestly express care, affection, responsibility, respect, commitment, and trust.”

Thank you, bell hooks, rest in peace and power.

MORE FROM bell hooks: did you know she has over 50 publications! These include nonfiction theory texts as well as poetry and children’s books too! Check them out at your library or buy from a black owned bookstore like one of these linked here, she probably would not want you to support Jeff Bezos or amazon when you purchase her writing!