Book choice by December MISSives guest editor, Emily Unity
My book recommendation for this month is “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” by Audre Lorde (1934 – 1992).
As a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”, Professor Lorde was an activist who dedicated her life to confronting intersectional injustices, including racism, sexism, ableism, and classism. This book brings together her essays, speeches, and poetry, including a personal favourite, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.”
Lorde believed in the power of storytelling to confront injustice and create systemic change. Through her creative talent, she expresses her anger and empathy regarding human rights whilst providing an intimate insight into her lived experiences of intersectionality.
I cannot recommend her book highly enough and will not be able to adequately describe her with my words alone. So, I will leave you with a quote from Lorde herself: “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. That the speaking profits me, beyond any other effect. I am standing here as a Black lesbian poet, and the meaning of all that waits upon the fact that I am still alive, and might not have been.” – Audre Lorde
