Book Review: Sister Outsider

What does it mean to be black, female, and lesbian? Audre Lorde a black lesbian feminist attempts to answer these questions in her groundbreaking book “Sister Outsider”. How does a black lesbian woman negotiate between the gay, heterosexual, and black heterosexual spheres? Is the feminist movement a movement where the black woman can work in concert with white females? Or are mainstream feminists simply racists that want to devalue the experiences and views of black women?

“Sister Outsider” was published in the year 1984 by the Crossing Press. Lorde believes poetry and writing is important for black female emancipation. Lorde view is poetry is essential for people to express themselves and she views limiting poetry as a form of class bias and prejudice. Lorde discusses the “mythical norm” which is the white, thin, Christian, heterosexual male. Lorde says the mythical norm has the ultimate power in society since everyone is compared to the white heterosexual man. The mythical norm also creates, enforces, and legislates, laws that discriminate against the black woman.

Lorde also states that in order for emancipation to occur literacy is paramount. Lorde’s view is in order for for black liberation to occur people of African descent we must work together despite our differences. Lorde does not believe in separation from the black male she rejects white heterosexual feminist politics that focuses exclusively on gender. Lorde’s view is race matters and to ignore race and class is to ignore reality.

Is It The Word “Mulatto” Politically Incorrect & Obsolete ?

Last night, during our phone conversation my close friend and I started to talk about a coworker he is having some problems with at work. He says the girl is from St. Vincent and she is a “mulatto”. I sat up when my close friend used the word “mulatto”. I cringed. The word “mulatto” is a term many people still use to refer to someone that has black and white heritage.

I know he didn’t use the word in a negative way or whatever he was just talking. I also do not believe he was being politically incorrect. I just recall during my undergraduate days in Caribbean Studies my professors drilled into my mind to never use the word “mulatto”. The word “mulatto” means “mule” it refers to people that have African and European ancestry. I suggested to my friend that perhaps a more appropriate term to use can be “mixed race” or “biracial”.

He asked “why  would it be politically incorrect to use the word mulatto?”  All I remember is how passionate my Caribbean Studies professors were about the word “mulatto” they said the word is “obsolete” and it is “wrong” to use the term. I try not to use the word “mulatto” to refer to people of mixed ancestry because I remember the course lessons and the legacy of slavery in my Caribbean Studies classes.

What do you think? Do you think the word “mulatto” is “obsolete” and should be removed from the English language? Or is the word “mulatto” simply a word with a long history that should be utilized when necessary?