“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
I stared in awe at my computer screen as Amanda Gorman stepped away from the microphone, having delivered such powerful words in her poem titled “The Hill We Climb.” Those words would be ingrained in my mind for days and weeks to come.
My eyes had been glued to the screen since 12 p.m. EST on January 20, 2021. No, I wasn’t deeply engrossed in a Zoom class or FaceTiming a friend. I, like many other young girls across the country and around the world, watched in awe as Kamala Harris became the first woman, South Asian and African American to assume the prestigious role of Vice President of the United States. I could have never imagined watching someone who looked like me and shared a part of my cultural values assume one of the most powerful governmental positions in the world. History was being made right in front of my eyes — in more ways than I had initially expected.
Moments after Kamala Harris was declared vice president, a young, charismatic Black woman stepped up to the podium. Positive energy and hope radiated from her words.
At just 16 years old, Amanda Gorman was chosen to be the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles in 2014 and published her first poetry book titled The One For Whom Food is Not Enough the following year. In 2017, she became the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate and was featured on Glamour magazine’s “College Women of the Year” as well as Root magazine’s “Young Futurists” list in the following two years.
Before becoming nationally recognized for her talents, however, Amanda faced tremendous challenges as a young Black girl raised by a single mother. She struggled with a speech impediment throughout her childhood and continues to endure the challenges that come with having an auditory processing disorder. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of these limitations, she claims that these obstacles have allowed her to improve upon her reading and writing skills. From being a young girl who always felt like the “weird child” to becoming the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration in U.S. history, Amanda’s journey inspires people of all ages, especially young women of color, to pursue their passions.
When recommended by Jill Biden to read at the inauguration, Amanda had prepared her poem “The Hill We Climb.” However, after fearfully watching the violent events at the U.S. Capitol just two weeks before the inauguration, she decided to amend her poem’s wording to reflect a message of hope and unity that she felt the country needed to hear. During her interview following her performance with CBS This Morning, Gorman outlined her pre-performance ritual of reciting a mantra to herself about her Black ancestry, which reminds herself of her roots and the people she continues to fight for through her words. Shortly after her performance at the inauguration, Amanda was commissioned to compose an original poem for this year’s Super Bowl pregame ceremony.
With a bright future ahead of her, Amanda Gorman has already inspired so many young women and people of color to follow their dreams. Her words especially resonate with the black community during this unfortunate time of increased injustice and racism toward people of color. Hearing powerful words that inspire hope and encourage unity from a 22-year-old Black American living through this time adds great value and meaning to those words. I hope that Amanda continues to receive the recognition that she deserves as an influential figure in American society and a young girl inspiring change around the world. If there is one thing that you take away from this piece, let it be that we must find the light within each of us and embrace our differences.