Audre Lorde & Sojourner Truth: Pioneers of Black Feminism

Embracing the differences of your subjects is a skill not known to come easy to most; especially, when the subjects are viewed from a conditioned perspective, which translates after birth life means following rules and do what the white man says. The grit that is required to be willing to stand alone in their current oppressed zeitgeist and activate positive change for those future vulnerable subjects under the authority of white rulers, which could be any person with high authority to hinder the abilities of men, children or women -- in our case, women -- is intergenerational. Printed texts exist as evidence of women, black women, who were initially activated to free themselves in the sense of physical freedom and humanitarian freedom. These influential texts are the byproduct of embracing their subjects’ differences and communicating to the public of women’s rights. They are humans, humans with similar attributes as men -- authoritative subjects -- which do not limit or hinder them to become less of a person.

That being standardized, Audre Lorde, a black-lesbian activist, writer of powerful messages activating black women's talent or black women scholars to be engaged in all of the creations and confabulates in our country, is not a mere two-centries-later coincidence. Audre Lorde essays have been influential in activating positive change for black women's talent and scholars to be engaged in all creations and confabulate in America. She fought for women's rights, sexism, rights for homosexuals, and equal rights for women of color, which makes her another hero to extended intergenerational women who may be lacking the freedom to express their creative intellect within the same world where subjects try to get away with oppressing the pawns of our world. Sojourner Truth, is a black anti-slavery activist, with a one-for-her-zero-for-court who is selected by a deity to empower those before her in her current time and all of the future generations. They are not the two black women activists in our global history, nonetheless; they are two consistent black women in our country that focus on the initiation of change for a turnaround of women --for the benefit of women regardless their pigmentation and able-bodiedness -- in the arts and sciences and women prohibited from acquiring such fundamental enlightenment.

The enlightenment that our fortunate non-white-pigmented women have in our country is grandiose. It is no argument that women of color have an opportunity to learn without being birthed into a scenario where they have to earn an education after slavery; their academic education begins instantaneously from parents, guardians, neighbors, television, social media, and so forth. The unforgivable implementation our country allowed in the 1850s where thousands were enslaved in America influenced Sojourner Truth to fight against slavery. A true American legend who fought for women's rights, too, during her whole life. In her time, Truth gave one of the most haunting speeches of all time about women of color and women's suffrage. She was a fighter and didn’t want to leave until her words were through. In 1851, she spoke for the Women's Convention in Ohio. Truth used her body and identity to prove her point and she commanded, “Ain’t I a woman?”. Unfortunately, if we look closely, we can see that women are being treated the same way 170 years later in America and everywhere else around the world. In her speech, she argues her point about womanhood and the different illustrations that white rely on. Pointing out why black women can not have the same rights as white women. Why colored men get their rights, but not the same as black women? Sojourner started her speech on seeking for equal rights between colored men and the female, “I am women’s rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man … as far as intellect, all I can say is, if women have a pint and man a quart- why can't she have her little pint full?” (Truth, 64).

Truth argues her centuries about feminism and focuses on the daily animate experiences of the African-Americans and women that are very much minor to the white male population in America. She goes on and points fingers at the white male dominant, portraying them as the real enemies and why every African American women should focus on their real struggles.

After a century, black women are, however; struggling to have their presence perceived appropriately in academic halls and art exhibits where their creativity is luminous. Women experienced a sense of empowerment to seek education, freedom, and independence, making it the fountain for a rise of the feminist movement. Audre Lorde’s involvement, however; changed the perspective of that primitive feminist ideal in which our country ill-defined and poorly construed - a hero. Lorde is among many women of color to empower a positive change in history, becoming another hero to extended intergenerational women who may be lacking the freedom to express their creative intellect within the same world where subjects try to get away with oppressing the pawns of our world.

A poet, mother, lesbian, and fighter for women's rights. Lorde dedicated her life to fighting and addressing justice for women's rights, sexism, rights for homosexuals, and equal rights for women of color. In her essay, The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House, women across nations know of Audrey through the academic conference in the 1970s for where feminist scholars congregate. During her speech, Audre calls out the academia for rejecting women of color feminists. Further elaborating for salvation can only occur when any woman of color’s voice is included and not separated by the power of the other. Her main focus and argument of the speech were about difference and independence. Independence lets the leader and the hegemony to transform which that states when we act independently, we are acting in connection with everything. Audre’s main focus was the separation of walls between the powers of white feminists and women of color. Her point on the difference was as long as we are valuing and working in an interrelationship manner, we can cause huge hegemony and separation between ourselves. Lorde states utterly clearly about white feminists causing the separation of power, and the existing power towards white male dominant taking over feminism. Lord’s final argument was about wanting a new structure towards feminist and queer women of color. “Divide and conquer, in our world, must become defined and empowered”. Her argument teaches women across cultures that ignorance can become the real separation between one kind and can cause a huge suspension rather than wanting change. The separation will affect the community that we as true feminists fight for. It will affect the generation now and the next generation if we as a community don’t ask for a new structure.

Regardless of any of Truth’s speeches or Lorde’s point of view, there is absolutely no denying that their statements and need does not remain relevant today in our society. 170 years later, we see women such as Pauli Murray, Maya Angelou, and Audre Lorde that have experienced womanhood in such a way. These women have challenged white women’s ingenious patent and trust towards womanhood. They fought with their voices and their bodies not just for equal rights but for all women of color. As feminists, we have to acknowledge what these women have fought for and know that it is beyond our interpretations. Trans women and most importantly women who are immigrants have lower incomes than most male workers in this country that work fewer hours. Sojourner Truth's “Ain’t I A Woman?” is very much accurate in today’s contemporary slavery, which is why we as women need to continue on being active in our pursuit to fulfill in becoming authoritative, moreover; it shows that the vision of freedom that we believe especially as women of color who are oppressed every day, is not near imaginative and it is going to take a long time of not having to face such issues. They demonstrate that perseverance and appropriate influence will result in positive change, inevitably. This is the reason why I am able to write this essay in response to their selfless efforts for women like me to learn willingly and express my thoughts respectfully.