Carnegie Museum of Art honors Audre Lorde's 90th birthday

Audre Lorde was born in New York City and was a prolific writer and poet whose work addressed the state of the world, confronted inequities, and brought to light the tossing aside of Black queer women.

On Sunday, what would have been Lorde’s 90th birthday was celebrated at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The celebration showcased what Lorde’s work, poetry and life represented. The event was co-presented by Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh Sound and Image, Black Unicorn Project, Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Carnegie Mellon University’s Frank Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.

The audience was intergenerational and diverse, and attendees left feeling like their spirit was full and encouraged to carry on the legacy and work of Lorde.

The event opened with a powerful traditional African rhythm by Abafasi — which means “many wimmin” — a group of women drummers.

A screening of “A Litany For Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde” was shown. The 90-minute documentary directed by Ada Gay Griffin and Michelle Parkerson explores Lorde’s life in her own words over the span of eight years. It appeared at Sundance Film Festival in 1995, three years after Lorde died of cancer. The film layers Lorde’s voice with different readings of her poetry, and her own voiceover from interviews.

Nearly 30 years later, the film looks at Lorde through the lens of an educator, poet, Black queer woman, mother and warrior.

“It was so generous for this to be a packed room today,” Parkerson said. “But that only shows you the inspiration, the power and hunger people have, her life and what it means to them, what it means they can do with their own lives.”

“I always imagined the film being screened in this type of space,” Griffin, a native of Washington, Pa., said through tears.

“We are here together despite all the odds, to celebrate our beloved ancestor Audre Lorde,” said Bekezela Mguni, the founder of the Black Unicorn Library, which is a homage to Lorde and her work of the same title “The Black Unicorn.” “I feel grateful. Audre Lorde is a really powerful and important person in our lives and her work is so necessary — it was necessary when she was living and it will be necessary moving forward. She was a revolutionary Black feminist and I feel grateful for her values and principles and what she taught us about standing up against any form of oppression.

There were birthday cupcakes and everyone danced to “Electric Slide,” Lorde’s favorite dance. Then, local choreographer Jasmine Hearn danced in honor of Lorde.

Griffin recommends everyone read Lorde’s works “Zami: A New Spelling of My Name,” “Sister Outsider: Essays And Speeches” and “The Black Unicorn.”

“This was amazing, phenomenal and truly a blessing,” said Tayler Clemm, 30, who didn’t know what to expect because this event was her introduction to Lorde. “It means everything to know where my power comes from, because we always fight that ‘am I worthy,’ and … to be able to be in a space where I know who I am, and I love who I am and I know how much power I hold — I am just full of joy.”

“It is so good to see and hear Audre Lorde in multiple iterations and multiple times in her life. I really loved the drumming, everything was activating the love inside,” said Maria Kent, 39 of McKeesport.

Kent first discovered Lorde at the University of Pittsburgh in an African American poetry workshop. Because of the influence of Mguni, Lorde’s work still feels so present, Kent said.

“To be a lesbian Black woman, it often feels like there isn’t space for you, but to be reminded of the work that so many have done to come forward and be unapologetic is so good,” Kent said.

To conclude the celebration, scholar and poet Alexis Pauline Gumbs read some of her excerpts from her novel that will be released in August, “Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde.”

“It is important to take the time to bask in that legacy,” Mguni said. “I really hope people got to hear from Audre, understanding that what they see in her is also a part of them and each of us is powerful and we have a responsibility to be in that power and do whatever we can to shape the world in way that we all can live here with as much possibility, dignity and freedom as possible.”