Amanda Gorman
March 30, 2021
President Biden’s inauguration on January 20th, 2021, has been deemed the event of the year. However, one young woman, relatively unknown before the event, stole the spotlight. Twenty two year old Amanda Gorman, became the youngest poet to perform at the inauguration as she asseverated her captivating poem: The Hill We Climb. But we can be sure this is just the beginning of feats she will accomplish.
Gorman’s lengthy list of achievements and awards attest her talent as extremely special. She is a Harvard University cum laude graduate, a writer for New York Times, an individual with 3 published books, as well as being the recipient of the “National Youth Poet Laureate” by Urban Word. Her lengthy lists of accomplishments do not just end here, she also wrote the manifesto for Nike’s Black History Month campaign in 2020, is the recipient of a Genius Grant, Webby Award, and the title of “College Woman of the Year” from Glamour magazine. At the young age of 22, she has accomplished feats many could not even achieve in a lifetime.
Despite this impressive list, what really thrusted Gorman into the spotlight was her performance at the inauguration. She was a huge sensation, and immediately began receiving praise from figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Gorman has also been invited to perform for Hillary Clinton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Malala Yousafzai, and other prominent figures. She picked up interviews with many news channels, and even with former first lady Michelle Obama. Her books, still unreleased, have shot to the top of bestseller lists, and she recently signed with IMG Models, one of the top modeling agencies worldwide.
Recently, she was also given the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl, making her the first poet to ever do so. She performed an original poem that honored essential workers, as well as three “captains”, a Marine, an educator, and an ICU nurse manager. Her performance was incredibly well-received.
At just 22, Gorman has accomplished what many people can only dream of. During her pursuit of success, she also gracefully brought attention to important social justice issues. Her formidable list of titles and achievements make “Amanda Gorman” a name never to be forgotten.
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