Audrey Lorde’s “The Master’s Tools…” Revisited
By Noah Gassman
I initially wrote on black feminisms after Joe Biden won super Tuesday, and although the blog post left behind is pretty decent, my Bernie-bro piss-baby attitude shines through the work a bit too strongly. It’s been a month, and I have better things to do like really diving into the incredible Audrey Lorde’s speech “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.” In her speech, Lorde is able to criticize the platform she stands on while offering a path to better work in feminist movement.
Lorde first sheds light on the segregated nature of feminism at the time in which her black feminist ideas were pretty removed from middle class white women (MCWW) feminisms. The poet begins her speech by repeating what she was asked to speak about: feminism with “differences of race, sexuality, class, and age,” but also points out how there is only one panel where the ideas are explored. Society works to check off boxes for diversity, but when problems like racism, sexism and homophobia are intertwined, the MCWW feminism remains separated in the sameness of one body of people. The goal of these MCWW feminisms is to run like a machine: as efficiently as possible working to get those closest to equality to that foreseen equality. This idea can be seen in the push for female CEOs, as if adding more women to the one percent will lead to a true liberal democracy. These goals of the MCWW feminist movements lead to a self-focused narrative instead of the group consciousness Lorde is advocating for.
In order to combat the push for self success, Lorde reminds her audience the nurturing nature of women is not a tool of the patriarchy and can be radicalized for the good of the world. This radical nurturing encourages a sense of active “being” instead of a passive existence. Lorde’s call for nurturing and community is essential for change, especially now when lonely anxiety is the default action of the world. Differences between people must be fully explored and neutered to create a powerful group made of powerful individuals. She notes even though black bodies may be allowed in these MCWW feminisms, they are under a collaborative effort “to beat [the master] at his own game.” A game with rules created by the patriarchy, and players informed by the same patriarchy. Lorde argues the game of MCWW feminism is playing is one of power, not equality.
To make matters more concerning, no feminist group is winning the game. Lorde notes just as white women are stuck educating men about the matter of their sex, black women have been engrossed in both educating white women about their race and about the intersectionality of race and gender. The knowledge of black feminist theory existed in abundance back in 1987 with Lorde’s initial speech, and is more accessible than ever in the present day. Great authors like Lorde and bell hooks have so many books as starting points, and get shout outs from stars like Childish Gambino on his song “12:38.” Black feminism is more ready for consumption now than it ever has been, and the world has never needed them more.
Lorde is persuading her audience to be engaged in this idea of radical nurturing. She basically lists off the instructions for success, of how to be a good ally for anyone. Education is key to the dismantling of the patriarchy, but that education must be feminist guided, and self lead so work can continue being done. It takes work in order to group together as one, especially while retaining individuality. The call for organization for separate individuals with different problems and experiences to be aware of can easily lead to activist burnout, but Lorde is speaking from an experience of black feminism. Both pieces I read for this initial blog, Lorde and the “Combahee River Collective Statement,” state that work must be done so the most marginalized communities may have justice, and when that goal has been met, the patriarchy buckles until true liberal democracy is achieved.
Link to the piece:
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