Audre Geraldine Lorde
Discussion
Lorde considered the issues of sexuality, gender and race to be very important hence her work in poetry was focused on these issues. The term race refers to a group of people who share similar heritable characteristics and culture. When she was growing up, Lorde had to face the challenge of racial discrimination and segregation that was being experienced by African-Americans in the society (De Veaux, 2004). The New York City was known for the African-Americans movements to put an end to racial segregation and discrimination. Many civil rights movement activists, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Du Bois and Marcus Garvey were able to coordinate their activities from New York where a high number of African Americans had settled. Therefore, Lordes presence in New York meant that she was conversant with the issue of discrimination based on the race principle. She worked as the Head Librarian at Town School Library, but later left to teach poetry at Mississippis Tougaloo College. The Tougaloo College was a historically black institution. Mississippi was one of the states that experienced high levels of racial discrimination, a situation that led to very deep racial tensions in the South. Through her poetry, Lorde was able to fight political battles and social injustices.
She held the opinion that because the society comprises of people from different races, discrimination against a particular race should not be tolerated. For instance, the racial oppression in America led to the denial of black people civil rights. In some states like Mississippi, great resistance for the black voters to participate in elections was evident. According to Lorde, racial differences should not be used to separate people but should be looked at positively so that they bring the people together. Despite the efforts that were made by the civil rights movement and activists to demand for the respect of civil rights of the African-Americans, the integration of black people into the American society was very difficult.Lorde criticized the opinion that African Americans were inferior to the white people due to their racial background.
Lordes work evoked images of the African culture and brought out the issue of racial intolerance (Hall, 2004).She opposed the victimization of the African American women. Racial oppression leads to conflicts and cultural separation of people who live in the same society. For example, through her poem From a Land Where Other People Live, Lorde talks about racial oppression, her identity as an African-American woman a well as worldwide injustice. Her published verse Coal allowed Lorde to celebrate her racial background when she indicated that she was proud of her identity as a black woman.Furthermore, she advocated for a feminist movement which addressed the problems that are faced by both the white and African American women. She considered the experiences of the African-American women to be as important as those of the white women and therefore criticized the marginalization of the African American women experiences by the feminist movements leaders.Lorde asserted that racism should be fought, because it promotes the belief that one race is superior to the other. This leads to dominance and oppression of the members of a race that is considered to be inferior. On the other hand, Lorde recognized that the differences in race are real, but argued that they should not be allowed to separate people of various races. She therefore encouraged the people to learn about their differences and then focus on making the differences their strengths.
The term ethnicity refers to the classification of people into the groups based on the common heritage and culture. Lorde considered herself to be of African-American due to her African ethnic background. Ethnic identity is appreciated by Lorde in her poem From a Land Where Other People Live. Because she recognized the plight of the black people in the society that was dominated by the white people, she adopted a positive perception towards her ethnicity. For example, Lordes poems bring out the themes of courage, black pride, spiritual rejuvenation and motherhood (Keating, 1996).Her pride about her ethnic background is evident in her work The Black Unicorn. She discusses about the African goddess and tries to put emphasis on the racial background that the African Americans were supposed to be proud of. The rhythmic forms that Lorde employs in her work were associated with the African Blues music and the African Oral traditions. Her focus on problems experienced in the American society aimed at liberating the black people from oppression and suffering. She even described herself as black lesbian, mother, feminist, lover, poet. This showed how proud Lorde was of her ethnicity or racial background. The black people who lived in America, those in the Third World countries, older people and the working class are often seen to be an inferior group whose members experience systematic oppression. This can be attributed the leaders top priority on what makes profit rather than the human needs. Sometimes Lorde considered the black woman as a colored woman who lacked a voice to speak out about the problems and challenges they face in the society. She believed that poetry allowed those who lacked a voice in the society to talk about the issues affecting them. The supremacy of one ethnic group over the other violates the rights of the underprivileged. Although Lorde acknowledged that ethnicity brings out human differences in her speech Age, Race, Class.Sex Women Redefining Difference, she pointed out that human differences should promote the human liberation of different subordinated communities. Through her published work, Lorde opened up the myths of Africa to the American readers. To her, writing was a vocation and a responsibility to help others survive hence she mixes anger, rage, destruction with love, hope and renewal. She spoke about the children being the victims of the American urban life because of suffering caused by violence and neglect. She contributed to the black arts movement and inspired African Americans to shape their black identities (Thompson, 1987).
Lorde was a feminist hence she criticized the gender inequality that led to the discrimination of women in the society (Christian, 1985). Both men and women are different, but one gender should not discriminate the other based on the principle of superiority. The gender inequality has for a long time denied women equal rights with the men. The patriarchal system in the society considers men to be more superior to women hence men take over leadership positions. In all societies, men are seen to be more superior to women hence they take over top leadership positions. This denies women an opportunity to compete with men .Lorde advices women to appreciate their womanhood. For example, her records, Our Dead behind Us speculates on the history of womankind. Because Lorde was concerned about world wide injustice, gender inequality was a critical issue for her. Just like the differences that exist in race and ethnicity, Lorde points out that there are differences in gender. These differences need to be appreciated. Gender inequality can be attributed to the fact that in patriarchal societies, women have been taught and brought up to accept male superiority .This means that women are denied equal opportunities with men. By being involved in feminist movements and gaylesbian liberation efforts, Lorde was able to demand for gender equality. She was a radical feminist who challenged women to demand for equality and to embrace opportunities that can empower them. Gender equality is a very important issue and Lorde pointed out that differences in gender, class and race need to be appreciated rather than used to divide the society. In addition, she challenged the people to fight sexual and racial stereotyping which promote gender inequality.
Audre Lorde was always concerned with the suffering of the black women in the American society hence she spoke on behalf of the black woman (Jennings, 2009). The discrimination of women denies them equal employment and leadership opportunities with the men. The culture plays the major role in promoting gender inequality because women are expected to take over traditional roles which undermine their ability to take up roles that have for many years been played by men. Therefore, providing women with an opportunity to acquire education as well as to compete with men provides them with an opportunity to become empowered. Lorde supported the feminist groups efforts to demand the respect to womens rights and legal protection from abuse. An example of the feminist movement in America in the 1970s was the National Organization for Women. Lorde encouraged such organizations to take into consideration the needs and the values of both the black and white women in their quest for the gender equality. She appreciated gender differences and indicated that there was a need for women to work together despite their class or race (Tate, 1984). Because the experiences of women are valid, they should not be ignored. Feminist movements which demand for gender equality therefore should be effective in representing the interests of all women. Violence against women, sexual abuse or discrimination should not be tolerated in the society. Lorde, just like other black feminists, criticized the Western feminism which they considered to be discriminatory and ethnocentric. For women to have their rights respected, the ideology that women are weak needs to be put aside. Gender equality can transform the social fabric of the society (Olson, 1998). Furthermore, the belief that women need to find meaning and identity in their children and husbands should not hinder women from improving their lives. Lordes involvement in the gender issues had her play a major role in the foundation of the Kitchen Table Women of Color Press. She also gave her full support to the movements whose activities aimed at celebrating and preserving the African American culture. The poem Coal brings out the issue of an unjust society which tolerates unfair and brutal treatment of women. She pleads for sisterhood and cooperation among women. The suffering of women in other parts of the world became a concern for Lorde. For example, in South Africa many women were suffering due to the apartheid. As a result, she helped in the establishment of the Sisterhood in Support of Sisters in South Africa, an association that offered help to the women.Lorde has been associated with separatist feminism, a form of feminism that focuses on directing allegiances and energies towards other women. It criticizes patriarchal system, promotes the rights of women and supports women to achieve women and political goals.
Conclusion
Audre Geraldine Lorde was an African-American poet and feminist who made a great contribution to the American society. She spoke out against racism, gender inequality and discrimination based on ethnicity. She advocated for respect for human rights and equality regardless of ones ethnicity, gender or race. She supported the feminist movements and efforts that empowered women and minority groups in the society. Her work in poetry had a considerable impact in arts and is appreciated up to date.
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