“My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences.”

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.