1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello History Lovers. I'm Eves and you're listening 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class, a show that uncovers 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: history one day at a time. Today is February. The 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: day was February eighth, ninety four. Writer and activists Audrey 6 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: Lord was born. Lord was born and raised in Harlem. 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: Her father was from Barbados and her mother was Grenadian. 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: Her father was a real estate broker and was able 9 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: to put Audrey and her sisters in Catholic school. She 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: loved to read from an early age, and she was 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: particularly connected to poetry. She began writing her own poetry 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: during her childhood, and she published her first poem in 13 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: seventeen magazine while she was in high school. Lord grad 14 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: stuated from Hunter High School in nineteen fifty one. After 15 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: working and traveling around North America for a while, she 16 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: went back to New York to get her bachelor's degree 17 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: from Hunter College. In nineteen sixty one, she got a 18 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: master's degree in library science from Columbia University. At that point, 19 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: Lord began working as a librarian. She married an attorney 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two and had two children with him. 21 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: Though The couple later got divorced. Lord was still passionate 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: about poetry, and she gave readings and published more of 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: her verse. Her first volume of poetry, The First Cities, 24 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: was published in nineteen sixty eight. That same year, she 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: left her job as a librarian at Town School Library 26 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: and taught a poetry workshop at Tugaloo College in Mississippi. 27 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: And her poetry Lord touched on social issues like race, class, 28 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: and gender. She related her personal experiences to broader societal concerns, 29 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: and she also spoke out on matters like actuality. Some 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: of her early collections of poetry include Cables to Rage, 31 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: published in nineteen seventy and From a Land Where Other 32 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: People Live published in nineteen seventy two. The latter explored 33 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: themes of identity and global issues, and it was nominated 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: for a National Book Award. By the mid nineteen seventies, 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: Lord was a critical voice in the realms of poetry, activism, feminism, 36 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: and black arts. Her writing became more political, and in 37 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six, Cole, her first collection released by a 38 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: major publisher, came out. Two years later, her collection The 39 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: Black Unicorn was released. Lord also wrote pros, one of 40 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 1: her most notable nonfiction works is The Cancer Journals, published 41 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 42 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: the late nineteen seventies. In the book, Lord documented how 43 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: it felt to deal with the illness. She went on 44 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: to help launch the publishing house Kitchen Table Women of 45 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: Color Press with a writer and activists Barbara Smith, and 46 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: she helped establish a political committee called Sisterhood and Supportive 47 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: Sisters in South Africa, which she remained active with until 48 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: the end of her life. She wrote essays for left 49 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: wing and black publications, and she wrote the acclaimed novel Zammi, 50 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: a new spelling of my name. Laura continued to struggle 51 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: with cancer for the rest of her life. Her essay 52 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: collection A Burst of Light addresses cancer, race, parenthood, and 53 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: other topics related to her personal life and the world 54 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: at large. She went through experimental treatments in Europe, and 55 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: in her later years she lived in the US Virgin Islands. 56 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: She continued to teach, rite and lecture on social and 57 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: political issues until she died of liver cancer in November 58 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: of nineteen I'm eave, Jeffcote, and hopefully you know a 59 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: little more about history today than you did yesterday. If 60 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: you have any burning questions or comments, you can leave 61 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: us a note at t d i h C Podcast 62 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If emails your thing, send 63 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: us a note at this day at i heeart media 64 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks again for listening, and have a fantastic 65 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: twenty four hours until we see you again. For more 66 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 67 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.