On the steps of Capitol Hill, Amanda Gorman, the inaugural poet on Wednesday commandeered attention with her poem and also made history.
Below are ten things you should know about Gorman:
1. She’s the youngest known inaugural poet
2. She told Hillary Clinton she will be gunning for the US presidency in 2036.
3. Gorman is 22 years old.
4. The title of the poem she wrote and read at the inauguration is ‘The Hill We Climb.’
5. She was raised in Los Angeles by a single mom, who is also an English teacher.
6. Gorman has revealed that she has a speech impediment with particular trouble with the letter “R”.
7. She became America’s First Youth Poet Laureate at the age of 19.
8. She graduated from Harvard University in 2020.
9. Gorman has a mantra that helps her prepare for performances and it’s: ‘I’m the daughter of black writers. We’re descended from freedom fighters who broke through chains and changed the world. They call me.”
10. The young poet follows in the footsteps of other inaugural poets like Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Richard Blanco, Elizabeth Alexander, Miller Williams and more.
