Audre Lorde
Biography
Born in New York City in 1934 to parents from Grenada, Lorde began writing poetry as a teenager and published her first professional poem in Seventeen magazine. She earned a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and a master's degree in library science from Columbia University before working as a librarian and later teaching at institutions including Tougaloo College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Hunter College.
Lorde published poetry, essays, and prose throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, developing a body of work centered on Black identity, feminism, sexuality, difference, and social justice. She was active in civil rights, feminist, antiwar, and lesbian and gay rights movements and, in 1981, co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press with Barbara Smith and Cherríe Moraga.
Lorde spent the final years of her life in St. Croix, where she died in 1992. She was named New York State Poet Laureate in 1991. Her writing and legacy continue to be preserved through major archival collections and institutions in the United States and Germany.
BQW Impact
Lorde's work is foundational to Black queer feminist thought. She explicitly identified herself as a Black lesbian and used poetry and prose to examine the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and power.
Her writing gave Black lesbians and other marginalized women language for experiences often excluded from mainstream feminist and literary conversations. Her work continues to influence Black feminist, queer, literary, and activist movements.
Notable Works
The Black Unicorn (1978)
Poetry collection exploring Black identity, womanhood, sexuality, ancestry, and power.
The Cancer Journals (1980)
Prose work examining breast cancer, mastectomy, identity, and the silence surrounding women's bodies.
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982)
“Biomythography” combining autobiography, history, and myth to recount Lorde's development as a Black lesbian.
Sister Outsider (1984)
Collection of essays and speeches addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, difference, and Black feminist politics.
Learn More
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Institutional biography and collection materials.
Audre Lorde Papers and archival resources.
Freie Universität Berlin Digital Audre Lorde Archive
Digitized recordings, photographs, and archival materials documenting Lorde's Berlin years.
Contemporary LGBTQ+ people-of-color organizing center named in Lorde's honor.