Mighty Woman of the Month
Audre Lorde
Her Legacy :
A Black Woman, Lesbian, Poet, Mother, and Warrior.
Audre Geraldine Lorde was born in Harlem, New York City on February 18th, 1934.
After highschool, and having her poetry featured in the magazine Seventeen, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College and a Masters of Library Science (MLS) from Columbia University.
Audre Lorde's work was understood to hold space for the cultivation and discussion of racial and social justice, queer identity and orientation and the intersections of race, class, and gender.
Here are some notable organizations Audre Lorde co-founded:
- Sisters in Support of Sisters in South Africa
- An organization working to raise awareness for women experiencing discrimination under apartheid
- Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press
- A Literary Arts Center that focuses on uplifting the works of black female poets and authors
- Women’s Coalition of St. Croix
- An organization devoted to aiding women who are survivors of sexual abuse
She tragically passed away after a tough battle with breast cancer just after her participation in an African naming ceremony (in which she took on the name Gamba Adisa, meaning: Warrior) and will always be revered as a woman who worked towards equity and fought for the rights of many underrepresented peoples ans well as the importance of their visibility.
Check out these titles authored by and dive into these resources for more information about Audre Lorde and her groundbreaking work as a writer and activist!
- I Am Your Sister: Black Women Organizing Across Sexualities
- Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
- The First Cities
- Lesbian Party: An Anthology
- The Black Unicorn
- Need: A Chorale For Black Women Voices
- The Cancer Journals
- Poetry Foundation - Audre Lorde
- Poets.org - Audre Lorde
- Literary Ladies Guide - Audre Lorde, Poet, Feminist, & Activist
- National Women's History Museum - Audre Lorde