Know everything about Sister Outsider’ Audre Lorde.
Audrey
Lorde – born on February 18th, 1934 – was an acclaimed American
writer and Civil Rights activist. She described herself as a Black lesbian,
mother, warrior, and poet who spent her life advocating against matters of
injustices caused by sexism, racism, classicism, capitalism, and homophobia,
etc.
You can find several Audre Lorde quotes, poems and book all over the internet.
She
is remembered for having acquired technical mastery over emotional expression
and grit. The common themes that dominated her poetic stance were anger and
outrage against social injustices. Most of the prose written by her explore the
concept of Black female identity.
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Today,
on her birth anniversary, Google Doodle has decided to celebrate the life of
this talented and fierce woman whose voice still resonates within the Black
community.
Lorde
had a tumultuous relationship with her parents as—in their attempt to focus on
their real estate business during The Great Depression— both parents neglected their
daughter. More than that, both parents were emotionally distant and generally
cold with her.
In
fact, her relationship with her mother was rather complex. Unfortunately, her
mother was driven by internalized racism despite that fact that she was a Black
woman herself. She used to be suspicious around people who had darker skin than
hers – which applied to Lorde as well. Because of this toxic environment at
home, Lorde grappled with anxiety and other emotions that she expressed in her
poems, more prominently in Story Books on
a Kitchen Table.
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It
may come as a surprise to some, but Lorde struggled with communication as a
child – that’s exactly when she realized the power of poetic expression and how
she could harness it to voice her feelings and opinions.
She
didn’t find affirmation until she spent a year at the National University of
Mexico. Later on, she earned her Master’s degree in Library Science from
Columbia University. She was also responsible for co-founding Kitchen Table:
Women of Color Press. By 1977, she was the associate of Women’s Institute for
Freedom of the Press – a nonprofit publishing organization. This organization
actively worked on reducing the gap between female voices and the general
public.
Lorde,
like many other women of that period—or any other period for that matter—
identified with problems related to gender, sexuality, race, and class. In her
final years, she also struggled with cancer, which added another theme to her
poetic expression: chronic illness and disability.
In
all her poems, she recognized the differences evident in society and challenged
them unabashedly. She always questioned her readers, asking for the reason
behind such judgment. Through her work, she conveyed the experiences of women
struggling with identity. She rebelled against stereotypes and categorization
and gave birth to the idea of intersectionality.
In
1962, she shocked the world by marrying a White gay man, attorney Edwin
Rollins. They both got divorced after having children.
This
classic collection of non-fiction prose is possibly one of the most
groundbreaking works ever composed. They have massively impacted the formation
of contemporary feminist theories. She wrote 15 essays and speeches during the
years 1976 and 1984, emphasizing the oppression caused by sexism,
heterosexism, racism, classism, and homophobia.
She
further explored themes like intersectional identity, imperialism, police
brutality, and violence against Black women. Drawing from personal experience, she challenged
the deep-rooted patriarchy that sadly exists even today. She successfully
reasoned with the readers and gave them a message of hope, love, and
positivity.
Another
theme highlighted in her work is that of power dynamics and queerness. She
distinguished the primary difference between erotica and pornography. She
emphasized the emotional experiences due to sexuality and freedom. As a
Black lesbian feminist, she claimed that eroticism focused on the feelings
rather than physical sensations.
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What
you need to know is that her poems are deeply philosophical and emotionally
moving. Her work has definitely made a significant contribution the social
theory and intersectional feminism.
In
celebration of Black History Month or African American Month, Google Doodle has given an ode to the
brilliant mind that Audre Lorde was in addition to other black history month people and the Doodle is illustrated by an
LA-based artist Monica Ahanonu.
For more information about why is February a black history month and when is black history month in the coming years, hit like on our Facebook page.
What do you feel about today’s Doodle? Sister Outsider’ Audre
Lorde was given a great tribute! Also, don’t forget to get more awareness on black history month for kids, facts, quotes, activities in 2021.
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