Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was a revolutionary and feminist poet.
Her work inspired the modern feminist movement.
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A New York native and daughter of immigrants, Audre Lorde once described herself as a “poet, warrior, feminist, mother, pioneer, lover, survivor.”
Growing legally blind and with a speech impedimentLorde had to persevere to achieve the success she did.
After receiving her Master’s in Library Science from Columbia University in 1961, Lorde launched her first foray into protest poetry entitled “wires to rage.” It was also the book in which she came out as a lesbian.
“Cables to Rage” along with her other books of poetry explored everything from racism, women’s rights, lesbian relationships, and homophobia. Her work established her as a force in the feminist community.
Lorde called out the feminist movement for exclusively catering to white women, and argued that for feminism to be powerful, it must recognize the value of all women, not just one type. This argument was represented in her book “outsider sister“and it is attributed shaping a more inclusive feminist movement.
Describing the many titles that make her who she is, she told interviewer Charles H. Rowell in Callaloo Magazine: “My sexuality is an integral part of who I am, and my poetry comes from the intersection between me and my worlds.… [White, arch-conservative senator] Jesse Helms’ objection to my work has nothing to do with obscenity…or even sex. It’s about revolution and change.”
