There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions - by Audre Lorde (Read by Lauren Lyons)

There is No Hierarchy of Oppression - by Audre Lorde
Read by: Lauren Lyons (@Laur_Ly) for GetInclusive.com
Photo Source: PBS.org
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"I was born Black, and a woman. I am trying to become the strongest person I can become to live the life I have been given and to help effect change toward a liveable future for this earth and for my children. As a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, poet, mother of two including one boy and a member of an interracial couple, I usually find myself part of some group in which the majority defines me as deviant, difficult, inferior or just plain "wrong."
From my membership in all of these groups I have learned that oppression and the intolerance of difference come in all shapes and sexes and colors and sexualities; and that among those of us who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children, there can be no hierarchies of oppression. I have learned that sexism and heterosexism both arise from the same source as racism.
"Oh," says a voice from the Black community, "but being Black is NORMAL!" Well, I and many Black people of my age can remember grimly the days when it didn't used to be!
I simply do not believe that one aspect of myself can possibly profit from the oppression of any other part of my identity. I know that my people cannot possibly profit from the oppression of any other group which seeks the right to peaceful existence. Rather, we diminish ourselves by denying to others what we have shed blood to obtain for our children. And those children need to learn that they do not have to become like each other in order to work together for a future they will all share.
Within the lesbian community I am Black, and within the Black community I am a lesbian. Any attack against Black people is a lesbian and gay issue, because I and thousands of other Black women are part of the lesbian community. Any attack against lesbians and gays is a Black issue, because thousands of lesbians and gay men are Black. There is no hierarchy of oppression.
I cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form of oppression only. I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination, wherever they appear to destroy me. And when they appear to destroy me, it will not be long before they appear to destroy you."

[@MusiqTruth]

WAKE UP!!! Stop telling me that I can only be in ONE group and should only fight for ONE cause. I KNOW who I am and intersectionality cannot be ignored. This poem was so eloquently written. ❤️

[@negloblaxon7616]

Your cause is LGBTQ , Feminism and Immigrants. Oh and Women.

[@Immortalprodigy1]

A powerful intelligent and beautiful mind. Tremendous ability for explaining complex social structures: concisely and poignantly.

[@daltonmarcellus8702]

Pro trick: watch series at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies recently.

[@ramonbodie513]

@Dalton Marcellus yea, I have been using flixzone} for since november myself =)

[@varhah]

I've shared this sentiment about there being no hierarchy of oppression for quite a while but it's never really been put like this. Great stuff.

[@laylarose8463]

I love me some Audre Lorde. A great book by her to add to your library is Sister Outsider one of the best Womanist books I have in my collection on Womanist/Feminist thought.

[@mroberts2002]

I wish I had known about her when I lived in NY back in the 70s. I wish she was still here- thank all existence that we still have her exquisite voice

[@dogblues4829]

I am studying her work. Rest in power

[@fortheloveofwater_]

This is resilience, This is vitality.

[@karee.mp4]

Thank you for uploading this ❤️

[@swiffs1]

I have just discovered Audre Lorde and am in love.

[@anonymousxxx6289]

This lady is just wow - rip 💗

[@bankheadshawty7809]

Love you Audre always

[@jhappysemall2269]

This is deep. Very informative.

[@maricelaalpizar2731]

Just started listening to her. they said her name on the best man

[@maddscientist3170]

opinion

[@Three_Random_Words]

How dare you have an opinion of someone else's opinion, imho.

[@liaqatkhan4603]

What does the Almighty say..only that matters. .anything else is selfish.

[@haroonshaheed3429]

Killed off

[@TheJohnCooper]

she confuses dominance (subjugation) with predominance (majority). It's a logical error that a lot of left wingers make

[@audreyh6628]

Cultural relativism is a social curse. Contextualise her words in the time they were said and you will see you are quite wrong

[@TheJohnCooper]

Ad Hoc that doesn’t explain her logical fallacy. I’m sure her words had a place back then but this conflation of “dominance” with “predominance” is an equivocation that is still peddled today.

[@Stokedhavok]

John Cooper - Art of Social Well said, my friend.

[@TheJohnCooper]

Ms. Jen oppression isn’t resigned to skin colour.

[@d.rabbitwhite]

Does she confuse it? right to dominance as I have always understood it, means the right to dominate. That is how it reads, to me, in this context.

[@NYSE2226]

Learn how to be a victim...watch this video

[@audreyh6628]

What a heroic comment!

[@jenniferstuverud7631]

Because you totally understand what it's like to be a black lesbian woman right? Gtfoh

[@jeffreysuiter148]

NYSE2226 White men online= fragility, anger and fear. Comments like yours make me sad.

[@davidval7188]

Yes lets blame the victim. Or at least disavow and claims of mis treatment. Better yet let's just illiminate the word entirely. Come on. I can't understand this idea that it seems to be wrong to ever suggest that someone had BEEN wronged and REPARATIONS are in order.

[@soulfuzz368]

Jeffrey Suiter I think generalizations about people based on their gender and skin colour is part of why we got here in the first place. Not sure if you are helping my firend.