By Raegan Lewis

January 29, 2021

A month ago, if you had heard the name Amanda Gorman, you would probably ask who that is, but now, you know she is an American poet who wrote and performed her poem for President Joe Biden’s inauguration. 

Gorman went from having a few sales on her two books to having them be number 1 and 2 on the Amazon’s Best Seller List. Although she blew up on Jan. 20, she already had many accomplishments, especially for being 22 years old.

She is from Los Angeles, Cali. and a Harvard graduate with a degree in sociology. Gorman currently has three books published but is now working on her fourth. She occasionally performs poems for CBS and has spoken for venues all over the country. She was featured on ¨Glamour College Woman of the Year¨.

Her accomplishments range from being the first person named ¨National Youth Poet Laureate¨ to writing children’s books. At the young age of 19, she has published two books, founded a nonprofit organization ¨One Pen One Page¨ and worked with Nike for a Black tribute. Her most recent accomplishment is being the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. She has used writing as a way to help her speech impediment.

Many celebrities have found Amanda’s speech impactful and inspiring. Celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Anderson Cooper, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Barack Obama, Ellen Degeneres and more have praised her poise and written works. 

Her inaugural poem starts off with a rhetorical question, “When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” then proceeds to trace the pitfalls and promises of our country, calling the U.S. a country that “isn’t broken but simply unfinished,” a country “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.”

Gorman’s inaugural poem was about America coming together as one, putting differences and anger aside and loving each other, regardless of which political side one is on. No matter what one looks like, they are able to be successful and can make an impact on the world. 

Gorman is also performing a poem at Super Bowl LV. Many NFL players have congratulated and recognized her on Twitter.