“Black writers, of whatever quality, who step outside the pale of what black writers are supposed to write about, or who black writers are supposed to be, are condemned to silences in black literary circles that are as total and as destructive as any imposed by racism.”

American writer, professor, philosopher, poet, civil rights activist, and intersectional feminist

Audre Lorde was an American writer, professor, philosopher, poet, civil rights activist, and intersectional feminist. She is remembered for a life devoted to challenging injustice and oppression, and for naming herself as a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet. Her work and public voice were rooted in struggles for liberation, equality, and dignity. She argued against ranking forms of oppression, insisting that people committed to freedom and a livable future for children should not be divided by whose suffering counts most.