Amanda Gorman: She Calls Us
"I am the daughter of Black writers. We are descended from freedom fighters who broke their chains and changed the world. They call me."
Amanda Gorman starts every performance with this mantra, as it reminds her to draw strength from her ancestors. To you and me, this mantra may seem like unfinished words on a page, but to Gorman, it has guided her to the spotlight.
In 1998, Joan Wicks, an elementary school English teacher, had a child who would later become the National Youth Poet Laureate. Gorman grew up reading books and was encouraged by her mother to pursue writing. Her speech impediment only fostered her love for literature as she used it as a form of self-expression. However, a desire to share her work forced her to overcome the fear of speaking, which led to a journey of reciting spoken word. By age 14, she joined a Los Angeles non-profit to help teen girls foster a love for creative writing. At 16, she became the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. By age 19, she became the National Youth Poet Laureate, the youngest to ever hold the role. And now, at 22, she became the youngest poet to perform at the United States Presidential Inauguration; I think it's safe to say that she is nothing less than outstanding.
Although Gorman's writing is powerful, it is what she does with her platform that inspires me. Her poem for President Joe Biden's inauguration last month, "The Hill We Climb," delivered a message to the 33.8 million people watching; there is a place for hopeful black art. We live in a time that may make us feel hopeless, we are having conversations, but the people who need to hear are not listening; that was evident when thousands gathered to attack Capitol Hill. Although the capital riot sparked from hatred, it sparked something in Amanda to write a poem about a future filled with love, justice and unity. In her poem, she stated, "We braved the belly of the beast/We've learned that quiet isn't always peace/… Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished/ 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." In other words, America is a growing place, one that is making room for voices in which it once did not. She describes braving the belly of the beast, also known as the dark racist parts of american history. Additionally, she references how she is a young black girl who now can dream of being in places of power. Her achievements in themselves symbolize how an institution that has historically denied black people's existence is changing. It also reminds us of the work that needs to be done; Gorman is paving the way for black women, but it is important to continue recognizing them. Yes, the world needs work, but we must nurture black girls' dreams to help unfinished nations. It is through seeing women like Amanda that girls are encouraged to push themselves to the spotlight and hone their craft. Through Amanda's work, we are reminded that black women can stand center stage, hope for change, and help make a better tomorrow.
Amanda Gorman: a young black writer, the descendant of freedom fighters, has broken the chains as she gives courage and hopes to people around the globe as we write a new chapter in history. She is her ancestors' wildest dreams.