Cultural Exchange in the Transatlantic Realm: Audre Lorde’s Influence on May Ayim’s Poetry
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2023-07-03
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en
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Abstract
Audre Lorde, an African American poet and activist, had an enormous impact on the
Afro-German community. She frequently traveled to Berlin, where she dedicated
herself to meeting and guiding Afro-German women. One of them was May Ayim, a
poet and activist of Ghanaian-German descent. She engaged with questions
regarding her sense of belonging and the complex nature of her multicultural
background and Lorde's work and ideas served as a source for inspiration and
empowerment for Ayim. Lorde placed significant emphasis on the recognition and
resolution of intersecting forms of oppression. Ayim, who encountered instances of
racism, sexism, and cultural isolation, discovered a sense of validation through
Lorde. Her poetry offered Ayim a conceptual framework to effectively express her
own experiences and navigate the complex aspects of her identity. Lorde's poetic
style, characterized by the fusion of personal experiences, and political examination
served as an impulse for Ayim's use of her own voice and words to confront issues
that involve racism, colonialism, and identity.
Ayim continued Lorde's legacy through her own poetry which explores topics such as
identity, racism, and the African diaspora, resonating with Lorde's emphasis on the
fundamental power of language and notion of poetry as an instrument for liberation
and protests. In this, she however uses her own experience and style as the two
women, although facing similar issues, have different life experiences and
experienced different forms of oppression.
Today, both individuals serve as sources of inspiration for individuals striving for
social justice and emancipation.
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