The Uses Of Anger Audre Lorde Summary

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In the essay, “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism,” the author, Audre Lorde, believes that it is natural for anger to be a woman’s primary response to racism. Anger is normally a woman’s response to racism and also a response to all that they are forced to endure as a result of racism. This includes, but is not limited to “the anger of exclusion, of unquestioned privilege, of racial distortions, of silence, ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, betrayal, and co-optation” (124). Women should learn how to express their anger for growth or to make things right, but “not [for] guilt” (124). In order for collegiate women to have an effective conversation in regard to racism, they must first begin to realize and understand the necessities and living backgrounds of other women who are not like them. However, often times, their concern to make a profit leads to discussions being only about the lives of those who actually can afford to attend. …show more content…

Most times, people view a black woman’s anger as an emotion that is disruptive to the feminist movement or one that is too terrifying for white women to even think about dealing with. Lorde argues that this negative perspective is caused by mainstream media’s animosity towards women reacting to racism, especially white women; they would rather women suppress their emotions and morality. Nevertheless, not only black women, but all women have an abundance of anger that can potentially be used to fight against both the “personal and institutional” oppressions that causes their anger to exist (127). It has the ability to be an influential resource and the first step to achieving growth and a profound change “in those assumptions underlining” the lives of women

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