I would say a person I look up to as “interculturally competent” would be Audre Lorde. Recently,
I’ve read a fair amount of Lorde’s work, specifically from Sister Outsider, a collection of her essays
and speeches, many of which focus on her ideas and musings about approaching oppression and
social justice. What I appreciate most about Lorde’s approach to intercultural understanding is the
way in which she balances strong and powerful points with nuance and sensitivity. Many of her
ideas focus on the importance of advocating for all groups of people, and witnessing all people in
their wholeness, as humans with many different intersecting identities. She encourages approaching
others with a sense of curiosity, attempting to release one’s preconceived notions about a person or
their identities, and rather be open to expanding and learning from others. In this way, Lorde
portrays a humility, a willingness to admit the limitations of one’s own perspective, and
open-mindedness, in her openness to learning from others. She models an attitude of respect and
solidarity with all marginalized people, and encourages others to do the same. As she writes in Sister
Outsider, much of her character and outlook is influenced by her experience in the world as a black
lesbian woman. As a person who experiences several intersections of oppression, she has personal
experience being excluded from groups that are meant to advocate for her, or feeling like her
identity has been fragmented. As a result, she understands the power that comes with allowing
others to exist and be recognized in their wholeness.
