Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Hood Feminism is Mikki Kendall's 2020 collection of 18 essays on the women mainstream feminism has left behind. Kendall argues that food, housing, education, healthcare and safety from violence are feminist issues. She writes from her own life in Chicago as well as from the research. The UK hardback from Bloomsbury runs to 288 pages, and it was £8.26 on Amazon UK when I checked on 2 October 2026.
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What is Hood Feminism about?
Mainstream feminism, Kendall argues, spends its energy on the concerns of women who are already comfortable. Meanwhile, the women with the least are left to fight for basic survival on their own. Her answer is that a living wage, enough food and a safe place to live belong at the centre of feminism, not on the edge of it.
The book makes that case across 18 essays. They cover hunger, poverty, gun violence, the education gap, housing and reproductive health. One essay takes on the myth behind its title, "Black Girls Don't Have Eating Disorders", and shows how stereotypes stop women getting the help they need. Kendall also looks at how the sexualisation of Black girls has been left to racial justice groups rather than taken up by feminist ones.
Throughout, she draws on her own experience. That includes surviving an abusive marriage and raising her son on very little money. As a result, the arguments rest on lived detail rather than theory alone.
Who is Mikki Kendall?
Mikki Kendall is a writer and cultural critic from Chicago. She grew up in the city's Hyde Park neighbourhood and has written widely on race, gender, food and the history of feminism. Before Hood Feminism she wrote the graphic history Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists, published in 2019. You can read more about her work on her own website.
Hood Feminism at a glance
- Author: Mikki Kendall
- UK publisher: Bloomsbury, hardback published 25 February 2020
- Length: 288 pages, 18 essays
- Formats on Amazon UK: hardback £8.26, paperback £8.99 and Kindle £7.99 (checked 2 October 2026)
- Recognition: named one of Time's 100 must-read books of 2020, according to Wikipedia's entry on the book
Things to know before you buy
Kendall writes from the US, so the examples, the statistics and the politics are American. The arguments still travel to the UK, but you will be doing some of the translating yourself. For instance, the chapters on healthcare and gun violence describe a system quite different from ours.
Reviews were not all glowing, either. Writing in the Washington Post, Julie Lythcott-Haims found some arguments too broad and some of the writing hard going. Kirkus Reviews, on the other hand, called it a much-needed addition to feminist writing.
Finally, the US edition has a different subtitle, "Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot". The UK edition reads "Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot". It is the same book, so you do not need both.
If you want to read it next to another book on the same theme, our page on So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo covers a book that pairs well with it.
Check the Hood Feminism price on Amazon UK
Hood Feminism FAQs
What is Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall about?
It argues that feminism should put basic needs first: food, housing, education, healthcare and safety. Kendall shows how race, class, disability and sexuality shape what women actually face.
How long is Hood Feminism?
The UK hardback is 288 pages and holds 18 essays, so you can read it one essay at a time.
How much is Hood Feminism in the UK?
On 2 October 2026 Amazon UK had the hardback at £8.26, the paperback at £8.99 and the Kindle edition at £7.99. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Is Hood Feminism different in the UK and the US?
Only the subtitle changes. The UK edition from Bloomsbury and the US edition from Viking carry the same essays.
Is there an audiobook of Hood Feminism?
Yes, an audiobook edition exists. Our Audible guide explains how UK plans and credits work if you would rather listen.
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Prices and editions were checked on Amazon UK on 2 October 2026 and can change at any time.
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