LORDEAN RAGE

Inspired by Audre Lorde’s essay “The Uses of Anger”, the term Lordean Rage was coined by philosopher Myisha Cherry. This phrase, simply put, is the “channeling of power and energy of anger without the desire to harm or pass pain.” This type of anger is aimed at injustice, not revenge. It’s used to try to get justice and spark movements against said injustice.

Let’s go over some key facets of Lordean Rage. The first is that rage is not irrational and sporadic; instead, it’s focused on a cause and is meant to challenge injustice constructively. Secondly, the rage is informed and intentional; this is similar to the previous facet, essentially arguing that while rooted in something volatile like emotion, it has a deliberate transformation and cause in mind. Finally, Lordean Rage focuses on seeking justice for everybody, as it believes that liberation is “collective”.

Now we’ll move on to how Lordean Rage is framed. The Rage, since it is intentional, carries information, and is very set on the rights and wrongs of a situation. All of the intentions of Lordean Rage are meant to birth change, not destroy. Finally, Lordean Rage argues that guilt is not sufficient; silence doesn’t do anything. Instead, we need actions behind our actions.

Now, let’s move on to some examples that use philosophies similar or equal to Lordean Rage. Some Civil rights leaders turn justified anger into a moral argument; one example is MLK and his Letter from Birmingham Jail. Another example is contemporary movements such as climate activism, which often use anger and passion about the issue to fuel their movements. Some examples include the Sunrise Movement and Fridays For Future.

Lordean Rage matters because it rejects the idea that rage is destructive and irrational. Instead, it argues that the rage is necessary to fuel practical and planned resistance and make change. It challenges the idea that ‘rage’ is a negative emotion; Lorde instead argues that rage is a vital aspect of change. Finally, the Rage promotes solidarity and community, inviting people to consider everyone in a scenario and find equality for all.