Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches Lesson Plan

In "Sexism: An American Disease in Blackface," Audre Lorde asks, "is [the rage of Black men] any more legitimate than the rage of Black women? And why are Black women supposed to absorb that male rage in silence?" How would you respond to this question?

Responses should include an overview of Lorde and Staples's positions and the critiques that emerge in this chapter. Students should highlight how Lorde is arguing that Black women are not oppressing Black men, but are being oppressed themselves by Black men (via sexism and misogyny) and the broader patriarchal structuring of society.

This discussion should help lead students to respond directly to Lorde's questions....