Audre Lorde Quotes & Sayings

“Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.”

“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.”

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

“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.”

“Our visions begin with our desires.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

“Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat.”