Audre Lorde

silence protect

“Your silence will not protect you.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

difference ivide inability recognize accept celebrate

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

free woman unfree shackles

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

important spoken verbal share bruised misunderstood

“I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

speak afraid words heard silent remember survive

“and when we speak we are afraid

our words will not be heard

nor welcomed

but when we are silent

we are still afraid

So it is better to speak

remembering

we were never meant to survive”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

master tool house dismantle

“The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

single-issue struggle life live

“There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

revolution event one time

“Revolution is not a one time event.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

feeling genuine path knowledge

“Our feelings are our most genuine paths to knowledge.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

sometimes blessed choose time arena revolution battle

“Sometimes we are blessed with being able to choose

the time, and the arena, and the manner of our revolution,

but more usually

we must do battle where we are standing.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

rejection necessity profit economy outsider surplus

“Institutionalized rejection of difference is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

oppressor oppressed understanding lack

“Oppressors always expect the oppressed to extend to them the understanding so lacking in themselves.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

be change wisk see world

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”

― Audre Lorde (1934-1992)