In part II of Episode 10: Reflecting on Audre Lorde, Leigh is joined by three local women (Valerie Montgomery, Claire Hallblack, and Valencia Wilson) to talk about race and infrastructure in our local community as an extension of our discussion about Audre Lorde's book Sister Outsider. Audre Lorde calls for women to unite and build new paths across difference, but what are the obstacles to building these paths in places where the infrastructure of racism, classism, and sexism still exist?

Structural racism, classism, and sexism can be seen in many facets of life in a small town, even in one as seemingly progressive as ours. We see this in the case of our local community that is 93% caucasian and less than 8% minority. With little or no women of color serving on boards, city planning committees, politics, food and health industries, and other important elements of infrastructure, then how effective is a community at providing support systems for the physical and psychological needs of all its members?

The racial and gender disparities are also reflected in housing, healthcare, employment, education, and church community, which is a huge network in southern, black culture.

When women, and especially women of color, are not landing key positions in community development or taking on leadership roles, then communities cannot advance the goals and values of all its members. An important component to Audre Lorde's call for women to unite and forge new paths across difference, is the equalizing of infrastructure, i.e. the building blocks of community.

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