Lorde, Audre

Poet, social critic, activist, teacher, and warrior are some of the words that have been used to describe Audre Lorde (1934–1992). Born in New York City to West Indian parents, Lorde's ideas have become crucial to feminist theory and women's studies. As an African American, lesbian feminist, Lorde was marginalized in a variety of communities. Thus, she spent her life fighting against marginalization and the practices that silence marginal voices.

Lorde attended Hunter College from 1951 to 1959, where she majored in literature and philosophy. She earned her master's degree in library science from Columbia University. In 1968, she left her position as head librarian at the University of New York to accept the position as poetin-residence at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. There, she published her ...