Audre Lorde was a multifaceted writer, her work intersected different identities. She described herself as “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”.
Born in 1934 in New York, her creative work in writing was revolutionary pushing because she dedicated her poetry to all that needed it. She believed that compassion and diversity were essential to bringing people together.
She taught English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Hunter College. In 1991, New York Governor Mario Cuomo named Lorde New York State Poet Laureate (1991-1993).
Her most notable work is her 1984 collection of essays called “The Master’s Tools Will Not Dismantle the Master’s House”.
Her essays cover major themes like women empowerment, critical race and gender theory, and social justice.
Lorde was committed to making a difference for women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. By emphasizing the power of the pen, her words created spaces that fostered empathy and unity.
She encouraged people to weaponize their words instead of using violence. She inspired women to be warriors and to wield their words like swords.
Feminine Angst
Lorde believed that anger was a powerful tool to challenge racism and homophobia. She found anger to be an essential emotion for dismantling systemic racism and taking down the patriarchy. According to Lorde, anger cultivates the strength to take action and effect change.
Our Differences Empower and Oppress Us
Her collection of essays and speeches “Sister Outsider” (1980) addresses issues like racism, sexism, and classism. Her speeches and essays amplified the importance of intersectionality, especially intersectional feminism.
Intersectional feminism focuses on the experiences of women and the impact of their overlapping identities. It’s the interconnectedness of social qualities like race, class, and gender.
In her essay, “Uses Of Anger”, she powerfully says “the strength of women lies in recognizing differences between us creatively…The angers of women can transform difference through insight into power”.
It was important to Lorde to highlight how our differences unite us and why our advocacy should go beyond just one marginalized group.
Her poems illuminated the world of her experience as a Black lesbian. Her words gave us insight on how she walked in the world.
Lorde’s creative work stands to this day and inspires great feminist minds like American poet Amanda Gorman and American writer Roxane Gay.
I created a playlist with songs that embrace femininity and highlight Black female artists.
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