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The more I use my strength in the service of my vision the less I am afraid.

Audre Lorde

I find I am constantly being encouraged to pluck out some one aspect of myself and present this as the meaningful whole, eclipsing or denying the other parts of self.
AUDRE LORDE

Aspect Constant Deny Eclipse Encouragement Present
To that piece in each of us that refuses to be silent.
AUDRE LORDE

Pieces Refuse Silence
I wish to raise a Black man who will recognize that the legitimate objects of his hostility are not women, but the particulars of a structure that programs him to fear and despise women as well as his own Black self.
AUDRE LORDE

Black Lives Matter Fear Object Raise Recognize Structure Women
The learning process is something you can incite, literally incite, like a riot.
AUDRE LORDE

Incite Learning Process Riot
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
There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.
AUDRE LORDE

Feminism Issue Live Single Struggle Women Empowerment
Some women wait for themselves around the next corner and call the empty spot peace but the opposite of living is only not living and the stars do not care
AUDRE LORDE

Empty Live Opposite Peace Spot Stars Women
Whenever the need for some pretense of communication arises, those who profit from our oppression call upon us to share our knowledge with them
AUDRE LORDE

Arise Communication Knowledge Need Oppression Share
Your silence will not protect you.
AUDRE LORDE

Black Lives Matter One Liner Protect
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
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
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
Guilt and defensiveness are bricks in a wall against which we all flounder; they serve none of our futures.
AUDRE LORDE

Against Brick Defense Future Guilty Serve Wall
In the recognition of loving lies the answer to despair.
AUDRE LORDE

Despair Love Lying Recognize
Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action.
AUDRE LORDE

Action Angry Guilty Lack Response
I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.
AUDRE LORDE

Different Feminism Freedom Woman Women Empowerment
Without community, there is no liberation.
AUDRE LORDE

Community Liberty One Liner
We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings.
AUDRE LORDE

Crave Fear Ourselves Raise
Pain is important: how we evade it, how we succumb to it, how we deal with it, how we transcend it.
AUDRE LORDE

Deal Evade Important Inspirational Pain Transcend
Oppressors always expect the oppressed to extend to them the understanding so lacking in themselves.
AUDRE LORDE

Expectation Extend Lack Oppression Understand
Construct templates for possible futures, and focus our rage for change upon our enemies rather than upon each other.
AUDRE LORDE

Change Construct Each Other Enemy Future Inspirational Possible Template
We are all more blind to what we have than to what we have not.
AUDRE LORDE

Blind Deep Gratitude
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
In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.
AUDRE LORDE

Celebration Destruction Difference Growth Live Reason Recognize Work
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
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
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
AUDRE LORDE

Afraid Feminism Important Powerful Service Strength Vision Women Empowerment

The more I use my strength in the service of my vision the less I am afraid.

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The more I use my strength in the service of my vision the less I am afraid.

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