Amanda Gorman recites her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)”210120-D-WD757-2531” (CC BY 2.0) by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was filled with great speakers and star-studded musical performances, but it was a young poet who stole the show.
Meet 22- year-old poet Amanda Gorman. She is a native of Los Angeles and is just the sixth poet to read at a presidential inauguration. Gorman is the first since Richard Blanco spoke at former president Obama’s second inauguration.
“We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy,” Gorman said. “And this effort very nearly succeeded, but while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.”
The poem was titled “The Hill We Climb.” The main theme was hope and unity as the country’s democracy was put in jeopardy by pro-Trump supporters rioting at the Capital just two weeks prior to the inauguration.
“I wanted it to be a message of hope and unity. And I think that [inauguration day] for me really just underscored how much that was needed,” Gorman said in an interview with CBS. “But to not turn a blind eye to the cracks that really need to be filled.”
Many teachers were inspired by the works of Gorman as some have already started teaching some of Gorman’s work in their classes.
“For January, I had planned a Unit of Study on Inaugural Poets. There have only been six, the first being Robert Frost, for John F. Kennedy’s inauguration,” said Riverside Township High School English teacher, Eileen Williamson. “It was easy to see just by watching a couple of interviews from past shows, that she was an articulate, intelligent, talented young woman. I was very impressed even before Inauguration Day. I shared all I could with my students, hoping she would be inspirational to them.”
Williamson even had her students in her AP Literature class do a project based on “The Hill We Climb.”
Williamson is not the only teacher who will be teaching about Gorman. Cabrini’s own Dr. Marilyn Johnson will be teaching about Gorman in some of her classes.
“It will be extremely easy to tie it into the class because the course is African American Literature,” said Dr. Johnson.
The reason Gorman was chosen to speak is because First-Lady Jill Biden is a fan of her work and convinced the inaugural committee that Gorman would be a perfect fit.
The road for Gorman has not been easy. She was named the nation’s First Youth Poet Laureate at the age of 19. At 16, she was Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, where she was raised by Joan, a single mother and an English teacher. Gorman said writing became her way to overcome an obstacle.
Gorman was diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder in kindergarten. She also has speech articulation issues that make it difficult for her to pronounce certain words and sounds.
Gorman learned to read later than other kids. But once she knew how, she became an avid reader and writer. She attended a private school where she received accommodations to meet her needs. At first, she wasn’t a fan of the help she was receiving. Over time, she grew to appreciate the extra help. And though her speech and auditory processing issues were always present, Amanda didn’t allow them to be a stumbling block in her life.
It is worth noting that Gorman will be a part of the pregame festivities at the Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, before the Kansas City Chiefs play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
