--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I cannot afford to believe that freedom…" description: "\"I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts up..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8a/audre-lorde-758_battle_i-cannot-afford-to-believe-that-freedom_2308779.jpg" --- # I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance… ![“I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination, wherever they appear to destroy me. And when they appear to destroy me, it will not be long…” quote by Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8a/audre-lorde-758_battle_i-cannot-afford-to-believe-that-freedom_2308779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8a/audre-lorde-758_battle_i-cannot-afford-to-believe-that-freedom_2308779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8a/audre-lorde-758_battle_i-cannot-afford-to-believe-that-freedom_2308779.jpg) > “I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination, wherever they appear to destroy me. And when they appear to destroy me, it will not be long before they appear to destroy you.” [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom from intolerance cannot belong to a single group; oppression harms everyone, so solidarity is essential. **In simple terms:** Intolerance affects all; we must unite. Key Takeaway Stand together against discrimination. Themes solidarity justice intersectionality Mood determined hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - community organizing - education - policy advocacy Key Concepts human rights collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we build bridges across different marginalized communities? - What actions can you take today to support another group’s fight? A Different Perspective It may be hard to align diverse groups with differing priorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-freedom/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-intolerance-5475737/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) [Intolerance Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance-right-5475738/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [“they want me to be just like them but they want to be just like them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-hickman/they-want-me-to-be-just-like-them-but-they-want-to-be-just-like-them/) [Omar Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-hickman/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I have tried to defend what is most precious to our American society, a society that is now at war against the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-have-tried-to-defend-what-is-most-precious-to-our-american-society/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [“These stupid biases and discrimination are the reason our country is so screwed up. It's Tamil first, Indian later. Punjabi first, Indian later. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/these-stupid-biases-and-discrimination-are-the-reason-our-country-is/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [Too small is our world to allow discrimination, bigotry and intolerance to thrive in any corner of it, let alone in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-engel/too-small-is-our-world-to-allow-discrimination-bigotry-and/) [Eliot Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-engel/) > [The Scriptures have been misused to defend bloody crusades and inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to sanction the physical and emotional abuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/the-scriptures-have-been-misused-to-defend-bloody-crusades-and/) [Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/) > [The life of the intolerant and the racist is a life without own life, and therefore driven by the ignorance and the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/the-life-of-the-intolerant-and-the-racist-is-a-life-without-own-life/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [“Some people would regard people who look like they do as ugly if they did not look like them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-would-regard-people-who-look-like-they-do-as-ugly-if-they/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [It might be comforting to assume that intolerance is an aberration within Islam but discrimination against Christians or any other non-Muslim is in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-coren/it-might-be-comforting-to-assume-that-intolerance-is-an-aberration/) [Michael Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-coren/) > [I believe in the freedom of expression, unequivocally - though, as I have written before, I wish more people would understand that freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-believe-in-the-freedom-of-expression-unequivocally-though-as-i-have/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [We have no right to believe that freedom can be won without struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-have-no-right-to-believe-that-freedom-can-be-won-without-struggle/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [No, I don't believe in genius. I believe in freedom. I think anyone can do it. Anyone can be like Rembrandt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/no-i-don-t-believe-in-genius-i-believe-in-freedom-i-think-anyone-can/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [We believe in freedom of speech for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/we-believe-in-freedom-of-speech-for-everybody/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [We believe in freedom to worship for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/we-believe-in-freedom-to-worship-for-everybody/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) ## More by Audre Lorde > [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [There are many kinds of open. . . Love is a word, another kind of open. . . Take my word for jewel in your open light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-are-many-kinds-of-open-love-is-a-word-another-kind-of-open-take/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Your silence will not protect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I can't really define it in sexual terms alone although our sexuality is so energizing why not enjoy it too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-can-t-really-define-it-in-sexual-terms-alone-although-our-sexuality/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-once-we-begin-to-feel-deeply-all-the-aspects-of-our-lives-we/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [the fear of death is that you are dying too soon. 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If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/poetry-is-not-only-dream-and-vision-it-is-the-skeleton-architecture/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I think that in America there are certain kinds of problems and in Russia there are certain kinds of problems, but basically, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-think-that-in-america-there-are-certain-kinds-of-problems-and-in/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-sharing-of-joy-whether-physical-emotional-psychic-or-intellectual/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [How a diamond comes into a knot of flame How a sound comes into a word, coloured By who pays what for speaking. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/how-a-diamond-comes-into-a-knot-of-flame-how-a-sound-comes-into-a/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) [Explore all 377 Audre Lorde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## More Battle quotes > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. 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But whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/for-many-people-it-s-facebook-or-sports-on-tv-whatever-it-is-i-have/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) [Browse all 4,526 Battle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination, wherever they appear to destroy me. 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