In honor of bell hooks birthday, this week I am releasing a very special recording. On the day bell hooks passed to the ancestral realm, I was lucky to be able to talk to my mentor and sista-friend, Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs. Notably, it was also the first time I spoke publicly about an idea I'd developed after reading bell hooks' work (once again), the politics of niceness.

This was an emotional conversation, so get your tissues ready. We laughed and cried for a wonderful hour, discussing the many ways bell hooks touched our lives, and our Black feminism. I hope you enjoy it.

For inquiries, questions, or comments, regarding The Politics of Freedom Podcast, please email Prof MB at: politicsoffreedompod@gmail.com

To get in touch with Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, you can find her (and her work), at: https://www.alexispauline.com/now

You can also find Dr. Gumbs on social media: https://www.instagram.com/alexispauline/

To get in touch with Dr. Alex Moffett-Bateau, you can find her at: https://ajmoffettb.com/

You can also find Prof MB on social media: https://linktr.ee/alexmbateau

If you are interested in reading the full article on Prof MB's framework, the politics of niceness, inspired by the work of bell hooks, you may do so here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/93VQZ6PQGSHBBUDWV3QE/full?target=10.1080/1554477X.2022.2075681

Here is a shorter and more accessible summary of "the politics of niceness," and what it means: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdw1sInsT62/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXh3sicM2wS/

Thank you for listening!