"Black writers, of whatever quality, who step outside the pale of what black writers are supposed to write about, or who black writers are supposed to be, are condemned to silences in black literary circles that are as total and as destructive as any imposed by racism"

This quote by Audre Lorde speaks to the silencing of black writers who do not conform to the expectations of what black writers should blog about or who they must be. Lorde is highlighting the fact that even within the black literary community, there is a kind of censorship that is simply as overbearing as the racism that exists in the wider society. This censorship is a form of injustice that prevents black writers from revealing themselves easily and checking out different subjects and concepts. Lorde is highlighting the need for black writers to be able to express themselves without fear of judgement or censorship, and to be able to check out different topics and ideas without being silenced.