Finally, hooks’ call to act with fierce care extends from the personal realm into broader movements for justice. On an individual level, using love against fear might mean entering therapy, disclosing a painful truth, or unlearning internalized self-hatred; on a collective level, it can mean organizing mutual aid, practicing restorative justice, or building coalitions across difference. In each case, fear whispers that change is too risky; love replies with action that honors our interconnectedness. By holding both the hammer and the intention to care, we participate in what hooks describes throughout her work as a “love ethic”—a consistent commitment to nurturing spiritual, emotional, and political well-being for everyone, not just ourselves. [...]
