Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde
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Name	Audre Lorde
Birth date	February 18, 1934
Birth place	New York City, New York, United States
Death date	November 17, 1992
Death place	St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Occupation	Poet, Essayist, Civil Rights Activist
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	African American, Caribbean American
Notableworks	The First Cities, Cables to Rage, From a Land Where Other People Live

Audre Lorde was a renowned American poet, essayist, and civil rights activist who was associated with the Black Arts Movement and the feminist movement. She was born to Caribbean American parents, Frederick Byron Lorde and Linda Gertrude Belmar Lorde, in New York City, New York, and grew up in a family that valued literature and music, often attending Carnegie Hall and New York Public Library events. Lorde's early life was influenced by her parents' Barbadian and Grenadian heritage, as well as her experiences with racism and sexism in United States. She drew inspiration from writers like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Zora Neale Hurston, and was later influenced by activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

● Early Life and Education

Lorde attended Hunter College High School and later enrolled in Hunter College, where she studied literature and philosophy under the guidance of professors like Muriel Rukeyser and Hilda Doolittle. She also spent a year at National University of Mexico, where she was exposed to Mexican culture and politics, and became interested in the works of Pablo Neruda and Frida Kahlo. During her time at Hunter College, Lorde became involved in the literary magazine Echo, and began to develop her writing skills, drawing inspiration from poets like Edna St. Vincent Millay and Emily Dickinson. She graduated from Hunter College in 1959 and went on to earn a master's degree in library science from Columbia University in 1961, where she was influenced by librarians like Melvil Dewey and Charles Cutter.

● Career

Lorde's career as a poet and writer spanned several decades, during which she published numerous collections of poetry and essays, including The First Cities, Cables to Rage, and From a Land Where Other People Live. She was a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement, and was associated with writers like Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, and Haki Madhubuti. Lorde also worked as a librarian at Mount Vernon Public Library and later at Tougaloo College, where she was influenced by educators like W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter G. Woodson. She was a professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and later at Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, where she taught courses on literature and creative writing, and was influenced by scholars like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.

● Poetry and Writings

Lorde's poetry and writings are known for their powerful and evocative language, which explores themes of identity, racism, sexism, and social justice. Her work was influenced by poets like Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen, as well as writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. Lorde's notable works include The Black Unicorn, The Cancer Journals, and Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, which explore her experiences as a black lesbian woman and her struggles with breast cancer and racism. She was also a prominent essayist, and her collections of essays, such as Sister Outsider and A Burst of Light, offer insightful commentary on social justice and feminist theory, and were influenced by thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan.

● Activism and Legacy

Lorde was a dedicated activist who worked tirelessly to promote social justice and human rights. She was a key figure in the feminist movement and the gay rights movement, and was involved in organizations like National Black Feminist Organization and Gay Men's Health Crisis. Lorde was also a vocal critic of racism and sexism, and her work challenged the dominant cultural narratives of her time, drawing inspiration from movements like the Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. Her legacy continues to inspire activists and writers today, including Angela Davis, bell hooks, and Michelle Obama, and her work remains a powerful testament to the importance of social justice and human rights, as seen in the work of organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign.

● Personal Life

Lorde's personal life was marked by her experiences as a black lesbian woman, and she was open about her sexuality and her struggles with breast cancer. She was in a long-term relationship with Frances Clayton, and later with Gloria Joseph, and was a mother to two children, Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins and Jonathan Rollins. Lorde's experiences with breast cancer and her subsequent mastectomy are documented in her memoir, The Cancer Journals, which offers a powerful and intimate account of her struggles with illness and identity, and was influenced by the work of health advocates like Susan Sontag and Betty Rollin. Throughout her life, Lorde remained committed to her art and her activism, and her legacy continues to inspire writers, activists, and scholars around the world, including those at institutions like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Lesbian Herstory Archives.