by Nana-Adwoa Kyeremateng
Amanda Gorman, born March 7, 1998, is a renowned American poet and activist. As a child, she always had an interest in reading and writing and was encouraged to do so by her single mother. Gorman later went on to study Sociology at Harvard University, continued to write, and graduated with high honors.
Gorman became the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles CA (her hometown) in 2014, and in 2017 became the first United States National Youth Poet Laureate. Gorman is the youngest member on the board of the largest youth writing network in the United States, 826 National, and is the founder of a non-profit organization that runs a youth writing and leadership program called, One Pen One Page. She has been on CBS This Morning several times and has also performed at numerous other places including, the Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and the Obama White House. She has performed for names like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and the list goes on.
Gorman’s work primarily focuses on topics concerning oppression, race, marginalization, the African diaspora, and feminism. Some of her more notable works include the poetry book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015), and her poem, The Hill We Climb, which was performed at the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden. Being the youngest inaugural poet in United States history, shortly after the inauguration, Gorman was acclaimed across the world, and two of her books reached bestseller lists.
Amanda Gorman paved the way and continues to do so for countless minority women and children who also have dreams of becoming a poet. This Women’s History Month, we recognize her.