The impact of Audre Lorde's politics and poetics on Afro-German women writers

Helga Emde stresses that the African American poet Audre Lorde "was a touchstone for most black German women in their struggle and political development." Lorde became a mentor to Afro-German women writers. She encouraged them to define their identity, played a key role in the development of the Afro-German community, and inspired May Ayim, Helga Emde, Ika Hugel-Marshall, and others to write. Lorde's poetics and political thinking, particularly her affirmation of difference, her focus on building bridges between people of color worldwide, and her emphasis on the connections between life, politics, and art, found resonance with them and shaped their works.