Harlem, New York (February 18, 1934 -November 17, 1992) age 58 yrs

Audre Lorde was a self-described ‘Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet’. She dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. Lorde was born in New York City to West Indian immigrant parents. She attended Catholic school and published her first poem in seventeen magazine while still in high school. Lorde honors and awards include a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Lorde was a professor of English at John Jay College and Hunter College. She was poet Laureate of New York from 1991 – 1992.