Amanda Gorman is an American poet and activist. On January 20th, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the youngest person to read a poem at a presidential inauguration. The 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb”, and captivated the nation.
Born in 1986 in Los Angeles, she is one of three children raised by her mother, Joan Wicks, a 6th-grade english teacher. Gorman has a speech impediment and auditory processing disorder which fueled her love of reading and writing as a child. She studied sociology at Harvard College, graduating cum laude in 2020 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Gorman’s activism focus on issues of oppression, marginalization, feminism, and race. She has two upcoming books, the poetry collection The Hill We Climb, and Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem. She has stated that she would like to run for president in 2036. Amanda Gorman is a powerhouse, and an inspiration. She made history, and there is little doubt that she will continue to make the world a better, brighter place for us all.
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