This is the second installment of a special feature that will go live every Tuesday for the next three weeks. Read part one to clarify your feminist agenda, or get started by jumping in below.

bell hooks: start a consciousness-raising group for men

If you haven’t already heard me mention the feminist scholar bell hooks, welcome to Writing on Glass. She’s a huge inspiration for me. This bell hooks Infographic covers her key lessons, but today, I wanted to hone in on one specific action item she provides: involving men in feminist consciousness-raising groups.

What are consciousness-raising groups?

Consciousness-raising groups were one of the primary ways for women to teach each other about feminism in the 1970s. In Feminism is for Everybody, bell hooks dedicates several chapters to exploring the history of these female-only get-togethers. The gatherings generally consisted of around 12 women and were hosted in a group leader’s home. Over the course of an evening, women were encouraged to examine how sexism influenced their circumstances, dismantle their own limiting beliefs, and learn about what actions they could take to advance women’s rights.