Audre Lorde (1934–1992) was a Black lesbian feminist, poet, essayist, and activist whose work shaped feminist, LGBTQ+, and civil rights movements. Born in New York City to Caribbean immigrant parents, she began writing poetry at an early age and earned degrees from Hunter College and Columbia University. Lorde described herself as “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” and used her voice to fight racism, sexism, and homophobia. Her influential works include The Cancer Journals, Sister Outsider, and Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. She co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press in 1981 and served as New York’s Poet Laureate from 1991 to 1993. During the last eight years of her life, Lorde spent several years in Berlin where she played a key role in shaping the beginnings of the Afro-German movement and the anti-racism debate among White people.
Her legacy continues to inspire movements for liberation and equity all over the globe today.