In the preface to Where We Stand, hooks highlights the avoidance of class discussions in contemporary discourse, noting that while race and gender are widely debated, class remains an uncomfortable and often neglected topic. She argues that, in recent decades, wealth has become the defining measure of power in America, shifting national values toward unchecked greed and materialism. While affluence once conferred prestige, the wealthy now dictate societal norms, and any concern for economic inequality is frequently dismissed as weak or naïve.

hooks reflects on her personal struggle to reconcile her own transition from a working-class background to affluence, particularly as many of her friends and family remain economically disadvantaged. She asserts that class stratification is worsening, with the poor increasingly marginalized and the wealthy insulated from critique. The silence surrounding class divisions, she warns, prevents meaningful change and fosters a culture of economic injustice.

Throughout the collection, hooks explores the intersection of class with feminism, race, and consumerism. She critiques the ways capitalism fuels a “politics of greed” (vii), and she emphasizes the need for national and personal responsibility in addressing class disparities.