At yesterday’s Inauguration of President Joe Biden, a momentous day, all eyes were on young poet Amanda Gorman. At 22, she is the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration, and her words moved the in-person and virtual audience.
Those who know Gorman say that she has always been committed to educating her peers on human rights and working for social justice and equality. When she was in high school at New Roads School in Santa Monica, she started her school’s chapter of Girls Learn International, which is a project of Feminist Majority Foundation aimed at empowering young women to advocate for human rights issues. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in sociology last year.
Her inaugural poem focuses on messages of unity, justice, and a brighter future.
“We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose”
Sources: Ms. Magazine 1/20/21; The Lily 1/21/21; CNBC Television 1/20/21
