The New First Lady Chooses a 22-Year-Old Black Woman Who Overcame Disability to Recite the Celebration Poem

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] 'Black, Woman, Disabled'

On the 20th (local time), Amanda Gorman, who recited a poem at the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President Joe Biden, is receiving attention. Gorman, a 22-year-old Black woman, symbolically reflects the new administration's emphasis on diversity.

According to local media such as Bloomberg News, Gorman, born in 1998, is the youngest poet ever to recite at a presidential inauguration. Dr. Jill Biden personally recommended Gorman, the winner of the 2017 National Youth Poetry Competition, to appear on the inauguration stage.

Gorman, who grew up in a single-mother household in Los Angeles, California, experienced speech impediments in childhood, similar to President Biden. After reading a poem by Ray Bradbury, the author of the novel "The Martian Chronicles," in third grade, Gorman began writing works focused on race, feminism, and equal rights, gaining recognition. In 2014, she was also influenced by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

At the inauguration, Gorman recited a poem titled "The Hill We Climb." Completed on January 6, the day supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, the poem addresses the crisis and division in American democracy and expresses hope for unity and reconciliation, according to The New York Times (NYT).

In her poem, Gorman emphasized, "We have seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this force is almost successful." She added, "But democracy cannot be permanently delayed."

Referring to herself as "a skinny Black girl, descendant of slaves, raised by a single mother," she said, "America is a country where everyone, including herself, can dream of becoming president."

Gorman's Twitter followers surged more than sixfold from 48,000 to 255,000 immediately after her poem recitation. The yellow Prada coat and red headband she wore at the inauguration, as well as the birdcage-patterned ring gifted by broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, also attracted attention.

Michelle Obama praised Gorman's poem, saying it "reminded us all through powerful and heartfelt words that we have the strength to protect democracy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.