By Olivia Cushman
The end of Black History Month would not be complete without recognition and honor of the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. History, Amanda Gorman. At 22 years old, Gorman is a cum laude graduate of Harvard College, where she studied sociology, as well as the author of three books. She is an activist focusing on issues of oppression, racism, feminism, and marginalization in much of her work.
Amanda S.C. Gorman was born on March 7, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. She was raised by her single mother, Joan Wicks, and grew up with her two siblings, including her twin sister Gabrielle, who is also an activist and filmmaker. She started writing at a very young age and was encouraged by her mother, who was a sixth grade English teacher.
Gorman grew up with a speech impediment in her early years, and has an auditory processing disorder that makes her hypersensitive to sound. Personally, I find it inspiring that this doesn’t nearly stop her from public speaking and being the confident and inspirational young poet that she is. She is said to have been inspired to become a youth delegate for the United Nations while watching a speech by Pakistani Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
In 2014 at just 16 years old, Gorman was chosen as the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles. In 2016, she founded the nonprofit organization One Pen One Page, a youth leadership and writing program. As a young person with a passion for writing myself, Gorman is easily and immediately an inspiration that comes to mind — one that I felt so inspired as to write about myself.
Most notably, Gorman read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021, and is the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration in United States History. After January 6, 2021, the day of the storming of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., Gorman said she changed the wording of her poem to address this historically anarchical event in American history. In an interview a week before the inauguration, she said, “My hope is that my poem will represent a moment of unity for our country,” and “with my words, I’ll be able to speak to a new chapter and era for our nation.”
Hearing her speak at the inauguration is certainly a moving moment that brought many, including myself, to tears. For me, I always felt that the only way to truly make change in society for the better is to go out and do it yourself. Amanda Gorman embodies the principle of activism, and inspiration to young writers and creators.
Maya Angelou is another notable black female poet in American History, and she spoke at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration on January 20, 1993. An activist herself, Maya Angelou spoke out against civil rights issues that she saw needed change in American society. She once said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” This is a quote that really struck a chord within me, and hit close to home. For me, it represents taking the bull by the horns and making the change, because no one else will do it for you. Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” illustrates the struggles of our nation, and how we can overcome them if we rise together. It’s true — after a particularly long presidency for many, the United States feels now more divided than ever before. If we join together in unity, we can truly have strength in numbers and come out on top, just like you have to change what you see wrong in the world, because only you have that power.
