Amanda Gorman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amanda Gorman
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Gorman in 2021 at the inauguration of Joe Biden delivering "The Hill We Climb"
|
|
| Born | March 7, 1998 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Agent |
|
|
Notable work
|
"The Hill We Climb" |
| National Youth Poet Laureate | |
| In office April 2017 – April 2018 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Patricia Frazier |
| Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate | |
| In office 2014–2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
Amanda S. C. Gorman (born March 7, 1998) is an American poet and activist. Her poems often talk about important topics like fairness, feminism, race, and including everyone. She also writes about the African diaspora, which means people of African origin living around the world.
Amanda Gorman was the first person ever to be named National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States. She became very famous in 2021. This happened after she wrote and read her powerful poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden, who became the President.
Her inauguration poem was praised all over the world. Soon after, two of her books became best-sellers. She also got a professional contract to manage her career. Time magazine even featured her on their "100 Next" list. She was called a "Phenom," which means someone with amazing talent.
In the same month, Amanda Gorman made history again. She became the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl. She read her poem "Chorus of the Captains" at Super Bowl LV.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Amanda Gorman was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up with her two siblings. Her mother, Joan Wicks, was a 6th-grade English teacher. Amanda's twin sister, Gabrielle, is also an activist and filmmaker.
Gorman has shared that she grew up with limited television. She described herself as a "weird child" who loved reading and writing. Her mother always encouraged her creative side.
Amanda Gorman has an auditory processing disorder. This means her brain has trouble understanding sounds. She was also very sensitive to loud noises. As a child, she had a speech impediment, which made it hard for her to speak clearly.
She went to speech therapy to help with her speech. Gorman saw her speech challenges not as a weakness, but as a strength. She believed these obstacles helped her become very good at reading and writing.
In 2021, Gorman shared a secret to improving her speech. She said she used to sing songs as a form of speech therapy. One song she practiced was 'Aaron Burr, Sir' from the musical Hamilton. This song has many 'R' sounds, which helped her practice.
Gorman attended a private school in Santa Monica, California, from kindergarten through 12th grade. She later studied sociology at Harvard College. She graduated with honors in 2020. In 2019, she also spent a semester studying in Madrid, Spain.
Career
Beginnings and Early Recognition (2014–2020)
Amanda Gorman's art and activism focus on important social issues. These include fairness, feminism, race, and making sure everyone is included. She also explores the African diaspora.
In 2013, she was inspired to become a youth delegate for the United Nations. This happened after she heard a speech by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. In 2014, Gorman was chosen as the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles.
She published her first poetry book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015. In 2016, Gorman started a non-profit group called One Pen One Page. This program helps young people with writing and leadership skills.
In 2017, she became the first youth poet to open the literary season for the Library of Congress. She has also read her poetry on MTV. She wrote a poem called "In This Place: An American Lyric" for her performance at the Library of Congress.
While at Harvard, Gorman made history again. In April 2017, she became the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. This is a very high honor for a young poet in the U.S.
In May 2020, Gorman appeared on a web series called Some Good News. The show was hosted by John Krasinski. On the show, she got to meet Oprah Winfrey virtually. She also gave a virtual commencement speech to students who couldn't have their graduation ceremonies because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inauguration Poem and Wide Acclaim (2021–Present)
Amanda Gorman read her famous poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. Jill Biden, the First Lady, suggested that Gorman perform. After some events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Gorman changed her poem. She added lines to talk about the events at the Capitol.
Before the inauguration, she told a reporter her hope. She wanted her poem to bring people together in the country. She hoped her words would mark a new beginning for the nation.
Right after her performance, two of her upcoming books became bestsellers on Amazon. These were her poetry collection The Hill We Climb and a children's book, Change Sings: A Children's Anthem. Both were set to be released later in 2021.
A book version of "The Hill We Climb" was published in March 2021. It had a special introduction by Oprah Winfrey. The book quickly became number one on several bestseller lists.
IMG Models and its parent company WME signed Gorman. This means they now represent her for fashion, beauty, and other endorsements.
Gorman was asked to write a new poem for the Super Bowl LV pregame show. She read her poem "Chorus of the Captains" on February 7, 2021. It was an introduction to three special honorary captains. These captains were essential workers, like a veteran, an educator, and a nurse manager. Gorman delivered the poem in a recorded video to honor them.
In 2023, access to "The Hill We Climb" was limited at a school in Florida. Amanda Gorman spoke out against this. She said that stopping children from finding their voices in books takes away their right to think and speak freely.
Gorman was also a speaker at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Interesting Facts About Amanda Gorman
- Amanda Gorman is the youngest poet ever to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration.
- In 2017, Gorman said she plans to run for president in 2036. She has often repeated this goal. Hillary Clinton even tweeted her support for Gorman's dream.
- In May 2020, she appeared on the web series Some Good News. There, she got to meet Oprah Winfrey virtually.
- Annie Leibovitz photographed Gorman for the cover of Vogue magazine. Gorman was the first poet ever to be featured on the cover.
- In September 2021, she became the first "Global Changemaker" for The Estée Lauder Companies. She also works with their program to help girls and women learn to read.
- On September 13, 2021, she helped host the Met Gala. She hosted alongside actor Timothée Chalamet, singer Billie Eilish, and tennis player Naomi Osaka.
- For her fashion style, Gorman gets ideas from famous people. These include Maya Angelou, the Duchess of Sussex, and Michelle Obama.
Amanda Gorman Quotes
- "Seeing the ways that I as a young black woman can inspire people is something I want to continue in politics. I don't want to just speak works; I want to turn them into realities and actions."
- "One of the preparations that I do always whenever I perform is I say a mantra to myself, which is 'I'm the daughter of black writers. We're descended from freedom fighters who broke through chains and changed the world. They call me.' And that is the way in which I prepare myself for the duty that needs to get done."
- "This is the reality of black girls: One day you're called an icon, the next day, a threat."
- "I Am a Threat: a threat to injustice, to inequality, to ignorance. Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be. A threat and proud."
- "We've learned that quiet isn't always peace."
- "There is no better compass than compassion."
Honors and Recognition
- 2014: Chosen as the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles.
- 2017: Chosen as National Youth Poet Laureate.
- 2017: Won an Ozy Genius Award.
- 2018: Named one of Glamour magazine's College Women of the Year.
- 2018: Presented a poem at the inauguration of President of Harvard University Lawrence Bacow.
- 2019: Named on The Root's "Young Futurists" list.
- 2021: Selected to read at the inauguration of Joe Biden. She became the youngest poet ever to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration.
- 2021: Featured by Time magazine in their Time100 Next list. She was in the "Phenoms" category.
- 2021: Won the Goodreads Choice Awards - Best Poetry for The Hill We Climb.
- 2022: A new type of alga in New York was named Gormaniella terricola after her.
- 2022: Won the Goodreads Choice Awards - Best Poetry for Call Us What We Carry.
- 2022: Won a Children's and Family Emmy Award for We the People.
- 2023: Nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for Call Us What We Carry.
- 2023: Elected to be a member of the American Antiquarian Society.
Images for kids
-
Gorman reading her poem "An American Lyric" in 2017
-
Gorman before reading "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Amanda Gorman para niños
