Feminism Empowerment

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Feminism Empowerment

The dictionary definition of feminism is stated: the movement for the

political, social, and educational equality of women with men. Truth

be told, feminism can mean a whole deal of things. It can mean women

fighting for jobs that were mainly held by men with equal pay. It can

mean women fighting for equal education in a so called male dominant

world. Feminism can give lesbian women the chance to adopt and have

children. These are just a few definitions of feminism. Audre Lorde

gives her opinion about the meaning of feminism throughout her essays

and books that she writes. She consistently challenged a number of

things like racism, ageism, classism, sexism and heterosexism, serving

as a means for change within and among social movements, in which she

herself participated in. Audre Lorde also discusses how perceiving

others as being different is a main reason why black women feminist

can’t get ahead. These are some of the issues that Audre Lorde

connects with the term feminism.

In the article, “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining

Difference House”, Audre Lorde goes in depth about racism. Her example

is the black community. It is understood that blacks have been

oppressed for centuries. Audre Lorde argues that within the black

community women are also discriminated against despite the homogenous

frontage that the black community wishes to portray. For these women

and for many others, there is a lifelong struggle against those who

judge them as inferior.

Audre Lorde also argues in “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle

the Master’s House”, that it is crucial not only to recognize

difference ...

... middle of paper ...

... instead

of accepting the difference. Black lesbian women destroy themselves

by keeping their sexuality hidden so they won’t be seen as different.

When found out by the community, black lesbian women are caught in a

bind of racism and homophobia, but they are seen as a threat to the

entire Black nation.

Audre Lorde also talks about how black women who are considered

different are seen by men, but how they are also perceived by white

and black women.

Audre Lorde wants a reformed society. She puts her opinions out to the

world so people could understand the struggle black and lesbian women

face. Confronting dominance, finding identity and exposing masculine

values are just a few problems that are faced in this world. Audre

Lorde wants to let people become aware of the problems so change can

come about.

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