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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

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 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
When you reach out and touch other human beings, it doesn’t matter whether you call it therapy or teaching or poetry.
AUDRE LORDE

Human Poetry Teaching Theraphy Touch
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
Out of my flesh that hungers and my mouth that knows comes the shape I am seeking for reason.
AUDRE LORDE

Flesh Hunger Mouth Reason Seek Shape
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
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
When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.
AUDRE LORDE

Afraid Hear Silence Speak Welcome Women Empowerment
Oppressors always expect the oppressed to extend to them the understanding so lacking in themselves.
AUDRE LORDE

Expectation Extend Lack Oppression Understand
It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.
AUDRE LORDE

Ability Acceptance Celebration Difference Divide Equality Recognize
Wherever the bird with no feet flew, she found trees with no limbs.
AUDRE LORDE

Bird Deep Fly Inspirational Tree
I have died too many deaths that were not mine.
AUDRE LORDE

Death Deep Depression Die Healing One Liner
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
I have been woman for a long time beware my smile I am treacherous with old magic.
AUDRE LORDE

Beware Magic Old Smile Woman
When times are hard, do something. If it works, do it some more. If it does not work, do something else. But keep going.
AUDRE LORDE

Encouragement Hard Time Inspirational Time Work
What I most regretted were my silences. Of what had I ever been afraid?
AUDRE LORDE

Afraid Regret Silence Women
Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
AUDRE LORDE

Act Care Indulgence Myself Politics Preservation War
How hard it is to sleep in the middle of life.
AUDRE LORDE

Deep Life One Liner Sleep Struggle
Divide and conquer must become define and empower.
AUDRE LORDE

Conquer Divide Empowerment Inspirational
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
The oppression of women knows no ethnic nor racial boundaries, true, but that does not mean it is identical within those boundaries.
AUDRE LORDE

Boundary Ethnic Oppression Women
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
For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.
AUDRE LORDE

Existence Luxury Necessary Poetry Women
Life is very short and what we have to do must be done in the now.
AUDRE LORDE

Done Inspirational Life
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
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
The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.
AUDRE LORDE

Feminism House Master Tool

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Audre Lorde Quotes