“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
Second Sex Conference, New York, 1979
Audre Lorde is a regarded queer and academic ancestor who paved the way for a more nuanced and lush approach to describing and interpreting the human experience. Lorde paved the way for many to dance their quirks out and speak their truth with the utmost authenticity, redefining grace. Born in New York City to immigrant parents with her mother from Grenada and her father from Barbados. Colorism, notions of emotional avoidance, and the impact of capitalism on the working-class family created a struggle for Lorde during childhood. She was an academic powerhouse and attended several programs for gifted students, acquired her bachelor’s from Hunter College and her master’s degree in library science from Columbia University.
She traveled worldwide observing, writing, experiencing, and teaching throughout her professional career. Lorde married a white-gay man, an attorney named Edwin Rollins. During this time, they accepted their queerness yet remained closeted. Both maintained an open relationship to allow for dynamics with same-sex partners. They had two children and then divorced. Lorde had several long-term relationships with women, including throughout her marriage.
Lorde published thirteen poetry books, 3 prose books, a few independent films, and a few interviews. Her impact reaches far and wide as she created the foundational and conceptual understanding of what we today call intersectionality. Many of her works unpack the differing experiences of holding various oppressed demographics and the possible implications of those experiences.
For further reading on Lorde:
Pan African Studies Encyclopedia 