Meet Amanda Gorman, the 23-Year-old poet slash activist whose new day’s lyric kick-started 2022 with a look to the future.
Most of us became acquainted with Amanda Gorman one year ago when she delivered the inaugural poem on the day that Joe Biden was appointed as President of the United States of America.
The first female African-American youth poet grew up in Los Angeles. Much of her work is about social justice, which she attributes to her mother, Joan Wicks. Her mother raised her two daughters alone, whilst working as a mathematics and English language arts teacher.
“Poetry has been one of the most stable forms of expression for me in terms of my identity and who I am” – Amanda Gorman
Looking back I remember clearly when I first locked eyes on Gorman. And I wasn’t the only one. Silence and awe followed this young figure as she graced the stage.
Gorman at the time was only 22. But she stepped onto the podium with remarkable presence and confidence. A strong elegant voice poured out of her poetic melody as she spoke.
“Where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry a sea we must wade…We’ve learnt that quiet isn’t always peace in the norms and notions of what just is, isn’t always just-ice” – Amanda Gorman.
She was mesmerizing before and had a standing ovation for an excellent reason after.
This was just two weeks after Trump supporters had stormed the capitol to stop the United States Congress from certifying the election. Yet, Gorman herself seemed to cast light on a very dark situation. The New Yorker’s poetry editor Kevin Young said, “her poem was as vibrant and elegant as her yellow coat against the cold.”
“I wasn’t exactly writing it for readers, I wrote it for myself. It was my kind of manifesto, a declaration of what I was setting out to do” – Amanda Gorman.
A month after she attended President Biden’s inauguration with an energising performance of The Hill We Climb, her rise to fame skyrocketed like no other.
With her now 3.8 million Instagram followers, she kicked off 2022 with a new poem she called New Day’s Lyric. She explains how even though we may be “tethered by this year of yearning. We are learning. That though we weren’t ready for this [pandemic], we have been readied by it.”
And that “no matter how we are weighed down. We must always pave a way forward.”
In a world that needs constant light and where social injustice is continuously being talked about, the act of poetry is always seen at the forefront of these various movements.
From the Declaration of Independence to Martin Luther King Jr’s speech I Have A Dream, poetry has always been the thread that has been woven throughout the fabric of American and global history.
In an interview with TODAY, she had this to say:
“Focus on your purpose. Focus on how YOU can specifically break through the barrier. Breaking through in this day and age is not only about breaking through the door, but it’s also about holding it open so that other people can follow” – Amanda Gorman
These are the words that resonated with me. That gave me goosebumps and chills to the bone.
This is what Don’t Die Wondering is all about. Finding your purpose, reaching for the unknown and creating waves of inspiration for others to follow.
But with the pandemic still looming heavily over our heads, her New Year’s speech targeted a very much-needed humanitarian aid.
Amanda Gorman’s nod to 2022 aimed to “honour the hardships, hurt, hope and healing of 2021 while also harkening the potential of 2022.”
In her Instagram post, Gorman urged readers to donate money to the International Rescue Committee to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
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