Audre Lorde, Zoe Leonard, a Rabbi reform article, a synagogue flyer, and photographs of lesbian conferences. What exactly do these people and artifacts have in common? They all utilize the power of words to preach to the masses and spread awareness about the issues and topics they’re most passionate about. “Words” have the universal effect of revealing corrupt and unequal actions produced by a society’s government and/or dominant class. With the power of words, subjects that were once considered taboo such as, homosexuality can be brought under public attention. No longer is it a scorned and disregarded topic that should be kept secret and hidden behind closed doors. It is now slowly being recognized and understood by the population. The impactful books, journals, news articles, banners, posters, and poems written by scholars, activists, and feminists alike have helped make huge strides towards fixing the injustices done against marginalized communities. 

This exhibit highlights black lesbian feminist, Audre Lorde, who was best known for her activism within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for queer women of color, and her literary works which feature a vast array of her experiences as a black queer woman living in a white male-dominated society. Other influential people include Zoe Leonard who is a visual artist and photographer who spent a great chunk of her career using her artwork to help bring awareness to the AIDS crisis during the 1980s. Some of her most famous works include her poem I Want a Dyke for President and a visual art piece called “strange fruit.” A few photographs of lesbian conferences in this exhibit help convey the power of words by giving us an insight into the messages that were spoken at them. One of the photographs taken by Morgan Gwenwald showcases a conference at Barnard College in 1982 featuring women of a multiplicity of identities participating in conversations about issues that were plaguing their community. 

All of these artifacts and more create an image of how words impact societies and give a voice to the powerless. The ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities has been taken to the streets, schools, courthouses and medical facilities, but the hidden gem connecting them all? Writing. The struggle may start small with a single person’s actions, but it quickly grows into a group questioning of authority and it’s power structures, creating collectives and organizations to increase support, and fighting for political power to form a society that won’t suppress the words of its marginalized community. 

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