A new street sign graces downtown Hopkinsville in honor of a native native daughter.

To those who knew her growing up, she was Gloria Jane Watkins.

To the rest of the world, she's best known as bell hooks.

Laura Rogers explains how her hometown is celebrating and preserving her legacy after reading her words.

It's helped me to just become a more open minded person.

Jada Poindexter is one of the countless young women inspired by the works of bell hooks.

Her book, All About Love, is amazing, first of all, and it really just shows you how the world needs so much more.

That's one of the main problems with the world.

Jada, herself a young writer, wrote the poem Belonging as a Black Woman, featured at Friday's dedication of Bell Hooks Way.

I was just really drawn to write about belonging as a black woman because there's been so many times that I haven't felt like that I belong to wherever I am simply because of the color of my skin.

Perhaps bell hooks would say the same.

She wrote nearly 40 books on the topics of race, gender and class, and is known the world over as a feminist icon.

Her works go beyond the borders of any map.

One of the things that she was concerned about was leaving a legacy.

So this just is the icing on the cake.

Gwen DeMott late led the charge to honor her late sister with her own street and the city where they were born and raised.

I think that she would be very happy with the fact that her hometown in Hopkinsville is naming a street after her.

The new sign now prominently displayed, just steps away from her mural.

And the bell hooks legacy room at the Pennyroyal Area Museum.

It is absolutely wonderful.

It's emotional to me.

The room includes photographs and personal items from Hooks Berea home offering an intimate look at her life and career.

Her books, in particular on feminism, leave a lasting impact.

It's a way to get to understand that people should treat people fairly, should treat people with respect.

Show love, Show care, Show concern.

Hopkinsville embracing the legacy of the woman who, despite her fame, I've seen her on TV and I would say, Oh, yeah, I know.

Gloria never shied away from her western Kentucky roots to have bell hooks say in her writings that I am from Hopkinsville.

You might go to the map and see where in the world is that?

And then you might come here.

And when you do, you just may pass by or turn down a street that bears her name.

I'm going to think, Well, Gloria, Gene, there you are.

How about that?

Or Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

The documentary Becoming Bell Hooks airs again this Wednesday on k y and on March 31st at two one Central right here on E. You can watch any time.

Katie Couric.