Zami: A New Spelling of My Name / Audre Lorde

 Word Count: 232

Parker Greene

From Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

" My mother was different from other women, and sometimes it gave me a sense of pleasure and specialness that was a positive aspect of feeling set apart. But sometimes it gave me pain and I fancied it the reason for so many of my childhood sorrows. If my mother were like everybody else's maybe they would like me better. … " (pg. 497)

This quote really resonated with me because it is almost how I could describe my mother when I was younger. Coming from Grenada is a real culture difference to Harlem, New York since her family was coming from a country in the Caribbean to America in 1924. Especially since her family was coming from the Caribbean where they are of darker complexion into America during a time where blacks were still being treated as second-class citizens. I think that because of this time period and how high the racial tensions were in America, her parents were probably trying to protect her, but also had a differing culture coming from Grenada to Harlem, New York. While Lorde had her own struggles, being legally blind and other kids not liking her the way she wanted, on top of everything else must have been hard to navigate as a young child in a world full of such hatred.