Young poet Amanda Gorman shines at President Biden’s inaugural ceremony
The inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden was aimed at healing a wounded nation and mending a political divide.
Few who spoke at the event did it more eloquently or created a stronger reaction than the poet Amanda Gorman.
At 22, Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate, is the youngest person to ever recite an inaugural poem.
Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” stirred many on social media with its calls for unity and hope.
“I have never been prouder to see another young woman rise!” Oprah Winfrey said in a message on Twitter. “Brava Brava, @TheAmandaGorman! Maya Angelou is cheering — and so am I.”
Gorman responded to Winfrey on Twitter and revealed that she wore a ring with a caged bird in honor of Angelou’s book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” It was a gift from Winfrey for the inaugural.
“Thank you! I would be nowhere without the women whose footsteps I dance in,” Gorman said. “Here’s to the women who have climbed my hills before.”
