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

Audre Lorde

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

Believe Important Misunderstanding Risk Share Women Empowerment
We are all in the process of becoming.
AUDRE LORDE

Life One Liner Positive Process
To that piece in each of us that refuses to be silent.
AUDRE LORDE

Pieces Refuse Silence
Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.
AUDRE LORDE

Architecture Change Dreams Future Live Poetry Vision
My experience with people who tried to label me was that they usually did it to either dismiss me or use me.
AUDRE LORDE

Dismiss Experience Label People Try Used
You need to reach down and touch the thing that’s boiling inside of you and make it somehow useful.
AUDRE LORDE

Motivational Need Touch Work Hard
Our visions begin with our desires.
AUDRE LORDE

Beginning Desire Inspirational One Liner Vision
In the recognition of loving lies the answer to despair.
AUDRE LORDE

Despair Love Lying Recognize
The learning process is something you can incite, literally incite, like a riot.
AUDRE LORDE

Incite Learning Process Riot
Change is the immediate responsibility of each of us, wherever and however we are standing, in whatever arena we choose.
AUDRE LORDE

Arena Change Choose Immediate Responsiblity Stand
The transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation .
AUDRE LORDE

Act Action Language Silence Transformation
We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit because what was native has been stolen from us, the love of Black women for each other.
AUDRE LORDE

Black Lives Matter Consicious Each Other Habit Tender Women
Oppressors always expect the oppressed to extend to them the understanding so lacking in themselves.
AUDRE LORDE

Expectation Extend Lack Oppression Understand
If I cannot air this pain and alter it, I will surely die of it. That’s the beginning of social protest.
AUDRE LORDE

Alter Beginning Die Justice Pain Protest Social
I remember how being young and Black and gay and lonely felt. A lot of it was fine, feeling I had the truth and the light and the key, but a lot of it was purely hell.
AUDRE LORDE

Black Gay Hell Loneliness Remember Truth
How hard it is to sleep in the middle of life.
AUDRE LORDE

Deep Life One Liner Sleep Struggle
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
AUDRE LORDE

Black Lives Matter Ideas
I learned so much from listening to people. And all I knew was, the only thing I had was honesty and openness.
AUDRE LORDE

Honesty Learning Listen People
I am still learning – how to take joy in all the people I am, how to use all my selves in the service of what I believe, how to accept when I fail and rejoice when I succeed.
AUDRE LORDE

Acceptance Believe Joy Learning People Rejoice Service Success
For each of us as women, there is a dark place within, where hidden and growing our true spirit rises, beautiful and tough as chestnut stanchions against our nightmare of weakness.
AUDRE LORDE

Beautiful Darkness Growth Hide Night Place Rise Spirit Weakness Women
Tomorrow belongs to those of us who conceive of it as belonging to everyone; who lend the best of ourselves to it, and with joy.
AUDRE LORDE

Belong Conceive Future Inspirational Joy Ourselves
The more I use my strength in the service of my vision the less I am afraid.
AUDRE LORDE

Afraid Inspirational Service Strength Vision
I believe one of the hardest things you can do is conquer your fears, but if you have a goal, then it’s your job to open up and let it be real no matter how scary it seems.
AUDRE LORDE

Believe Conquer Fear Goals Inspirational Job Matter Scare
If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.
AUDRE LORDE

Alive Eat Fantasy Inspirational Myself People Self Respect
We are all more blind to what we have than to what we have not.
AUDRE LORDE

Blind Deep Gratitude
It’s a struggle but that’s why we exist, so that another generation of Lesbians of color will not have to invent themselves, or their history, all over again.
AUDRE LORDE

Colour Existence Generation History Lesbian Struggle
We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings.
AUDRE LORDE

Crave Fear Ourselves Raise

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

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

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