Dressed in a bright yellow coat and her braids twisted atop her head like a crown, all eyes were on Amanda Gorman last week as she captivated the nation with an awe-inspiring performance of her poem, “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In reciting the poem she wrote in the wake of the seizing of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, Ms. Gorman, 22, became the youngest person to read a poem at the presidential inauguration. She follows in the footsteps of the late Maya Angelou, whom she admires. She shared the stage with singers Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez and bumped fists with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Among those watching from home, beaming with pride was Sacramento’s Bertha Gorman, Amanda’s grandmother.
“I was just blown away,” the elder Gorman shared. “She did it, she really knocked it out the park, she really smashed it.”
Ms. Gorman worked on Obama’s presidential campaigns and attended his second inauguration in person.
Her granddaughter’s words, she says, were “so timely.”
“Without them even having conversed in advance, she really capped the president’s message,” she shared.
Ms. Gorman’s phone has been ringing and pinging with text messages nonstop since the January 20 swearing in. Initially she couldn’t tell anyone of her granddaughter’s selection. Not her neighbors. Not even fellow members of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. But after the official announcement, she was able to officially brag a little, as any proud grandmother would.
Jill Biden saw Amanda Gorman perform at the Library of Congress in 2017 and four years later selected her to read a poem at her husband’s inauguration. Ironically, prior to Ms. Biden’s invitation, Amanda had already set her sights on that Capitol stage.
“She said, ‘Grandmother, do you think it’s possible?’ And I said of course, it’s possible,” Bertha Gorman, who was there at the Library of Congress performance, recalls of a chat they had in November, post-election.
Back in 2017, Amanda Gorman told The OBSERVER that she wanted to be president. She may use VP Harris’ ascension to the White House as further motivation. Both were mentioned in her poem:
“We the successors of a country and a time
where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one.”
Like Ms. Harris, Ms. Gorman has likely motivated a new generation of poets and girls who see the White House as possible.
“This is an opportunity for all girls, but especially Black girls,” Bertha Gorman said.
“The fact that she is unapologetically Black and she’s a brilliant young woman, it just moved my heart when I saw the response. The response was just over the top,” she added.
Ms. Gorman shares with Amanda comments that locals have made about her.
“She knows how to say thank you. She knows how to be appreciative. She’s a fantastic young woman, but she has that sense of humility. She can walk like a queen too, I have to tell you,” she said.
Folks have taken notice. After her inauguration appearance, Ms. Gorman has literally been the “talk of the town.” Her name and excerpts from her poem made headlines across the country. She also appeared on the talk shows, “Ellen” and “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” and signed a contract with IMG Models, the same agency that manages the careers of supermodels Alek Wek, Gigi Hadid and Chanel Iman and personalities like Chrissy Teigen and Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson. She’s also set to perform at the Super Bowl, giving a tribute to those who have acted as “heroes” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bertha Gorman is happy to see it all unfold.
“I am very blessed. My family is blessed,” she said. “My grandchildren are each phenomenal in his and her own way. They’re all very talented and my hope for each of them is really that they be able to explore their talents to be able to do what it is that they love.”
By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer