Final answer:
Audre Lorde believed that speaking and writing are crucial tools for survival and change, especially for marginalized people. She saw language as a means of asserting identity and pushing societal reform, and understood the transformative power of expression in enacting social justice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Audre Lorde, a renowned poet and intersectional pioneer, recognized the importance of speaking and writing as ways to wield personal differences as strengths. In her eyes, language and expression are vital tools for survival, particularly for those who exist outside the societal norms. Through writing and speaking, marginalized groups can articulate their experiences, frame their narratives, and initiate social change. This transformative potential of language—to both communicate and alter reality—is what Lorde understands to be at the heart of writing and speaking. Writing serves not just as a record but as an act of resistance and a precursor to societal reform, functioning as a platform to envision and bring forth a world that embraces diversity, equity, and justice.
The power of writing and its difference from speech is also significant; writing can become a tool for critical thinking, to engage in politics and social movements, and to create lasting cultural shifts. However, it is equally important to recognize the impact of spoken language in connecting emotionally with audiences and inciting immediate action. For Lorde, the act of putting words to paper, or voicing them aloud, goes beyond communication—it's an assertion of identity, a demand for recognition, and a step towards altering the structures that bind our realities and imaginations.