American poet Amanda Gorman
Credit: © Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

American poet Amanda Gorman performed at the presidential inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021. She read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at a pivotal time in United States history. She became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration. The poem, composed for the occasion, included references to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, just two weeks before the inauguration. In the attack, rioters supporting outgoing President Donald J. Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which Biden won. As a twenty-two-year-old Black woman, Gorman spoke for millions of people who were scared, frustrated, and distraught over the recent events. Gorman quickly gained widespread attention after the inauguration as a symbol of hope and a gifted poet.

Amanda Sarah Chase Gorman was born March 7, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. Her twin sister is the filmmaker Gabrielle Gorman. Growing up, Amanda was challenged with a speech impediment that involved difficulty pronouncing some speech sounds. She shares this struggle with President Biden who overcame a childhood stutter. In 2014, at age 16, she was named Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. In 2017, she was named the first National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States by the youth writing program Urban Word. She earned a B.A. degree in sociology from Harvard University in 2020. Gorman’s work includes themes of feminism and racial oppression.

Gorman’s writings have been published in a number of newspapers and periodicals. She also has written and presented poems for a variety of special events. Such events include the Library of Congress ceremony held when the writer Tracy K. Smith began her term as U.S. poet laureate in 2017, and the inauguration of a new university president at Harvard in 2018. Gorman’s first published collection of poetry was The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015). A special collectible edition of her poem “The Hill We Climb” was published in March 2021.

In Gorman’s first children’s book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem (2021), a girl with a guitar invites other children to join a musical journey on which they discover ways to help people in their community. The book was illustrated by the American author and illustrator Loren Long.

Call Us What We Carry: Poems was also published in 2021. It includes the poem “The Hill We Climb” as well as a collection of new poems in which Gorman explores struggle and hope both in the past and during current events.

American poet Amanda Gorman
Credit: © Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

April is National Poetry Month, an annual celebration of this unique form of literature. Each week, Behind the Headlines will feature the art of poetry or a famous poet. 

On January 20, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. On the west front of the United States Capitol, musicians performed, religious leaders prayed, and a new president delivered an inaugural address. Among the many speakers was the American poet Amanda Gorman. A 22-year-old Black woman, Gorman became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration.

The poem, titled “The Hill We Climb,” was written for the occasion and referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, just two weeks before the inauguration. In the attack, rioters supporting outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which Biden won. Gorman’s poem read in part:

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

It can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

Many observers described Gorman’s performance as extremely moving, bringing the poem’s beautiful, powerful words to life. Her expressive voice guided listeners through the past, present, and future of the United States. The poem and her performance were met with much acclaim.

Gorman was born in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. She struggled with a speech impediment as a child. Gorman studied at Harvard University. She had her first published collection of poetry with The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015). Her work includes themes of feminism and racial oppression. In 2017, she was named the first U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate by the youth writing program Urban Word NYC in cooperation with the Library of Congress.

Gorman became one of only a few poets to perform at a presidential inauguration, joining such legends as Maya Angelou and Robert Frost. In 1993, Angelou performed the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Frost recited his poem “The Gift Outright” at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.

American poet Amanda Gorman
Credit: © Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

On January 20, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. On the west front of the United States Capitol, musicians performed, religious leaders prayed, and a new president delivered an inaugural address. Among the many speakers was the American poet Amanda Gorman. A 22-year-old Black woman, Gorman became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration.

The poem, titled “The Hill We Climb,” was written for the occasion and referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, just two weeks before the inauguration. In the attack, rioters supporting outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which Biden won. Gorman’s poem read in part:

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

It can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

Many observers described Gorman’s performance as extremely moving, bringing the poem’s beautiful, powerful words to life. Her expressive voice guided listeners through the past, present, and future of the United States. The poem and her performance were met with much acclaim.

Gorman was born in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. She struggled with a speech impediment as a child. Gorman studied at Harvard University. She had her first published collection of poetry with The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015). Her work includes themes of feminism and racial oppression. In 2017, she was named the first U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate by the youth writing program Urban Word NYC in cooperation with the Library of Congress.

Gorman became one of only a few of poets to perform at a presidential inauguration, joining such legends as Maya Angelou and Robert Frost. In 1993, Angelou performed the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Frost recited his poem “The Gift Outright” at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.

United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speak in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 7, 2020, after being declared the winners of the presidential election. Both wear masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Credit: © Andrew Harnik, AFP/Getty Images

Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on January 20. His inauguration looked different than inaugurations past. Because of the ongoing pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, efforts were made to limit the size of crowds and prevent the spread of germs. Gone were the parades and balls. Instead, the country marked the transition of power with virtual parades and televised performances.

As is tradition, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States swore in the incoming president. This year, that honor went to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. Biden then give his inaugural address and conducted a review of military troops. Celebrities were on hand to help celebrate the occasion. Lady Gaga performed the national anthem, and Jennifer Lopez gave a musical performance.

The events took place on the west front of the United States Capitol—which, only two weeks before, was raided by a violent mob intent on halting Biden’s certification as winner of the presidential election. President Donald Trump, under impeachment for inciting the mob, did not attend the inauguration ceremony, becoming one of only a handful of outgoing presidents to skip the inauguration.

A poem by Amanda Gorman drew particular attention. Gorman, a Black woman, became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration. The poem, titled “The Hill We Climb,” was written for the occasion and referenced the January 6 Capitol attack.

Thousands of military troops and police officers had been stationed at the Capitol—and at state capitols around the country—in anticipation of further violence. Experts had warned of far-right extremist groups’ desire to stage attacks at such locations on or around Inauguration Day. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, 15,000 troops—more soldiers than in Iraq and Afghanistan—had been stationed in Washington, D.C. The weekend before the inauguration, several groups of armed protesters showed up at the capitols of such states as Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. They were met with military vehicles and police barricades. In the end, however, the inauguration festivities went off without violence.

Another major threat to the United States—COVID-19—led officials to scale down inauguration celebrations. Biden’s inauguration schedule began Tuesday night, with a somber memorial to the 400,000 Americans who have died from the disease, held at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. To limit the spread of germs, tickets for the events were not made available to the general public. And, instead of a traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, there was a virtual parade featuring music, poets, and dancers. The parade honored America’s frontline workers (workers likely to encounter COVID-19). In place of balls in honor of the new president, there was a star-studded television event on Wednesday night. Hosted by Tom Hanks, the event featured such entertainers as Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, and Kerry Washington. The television event ended a day filled with celebration and patriotism.

On May 29, 2015, former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari, 72, was sworn in as the new president of Nigeria. Buhari, a member of the All Progressives Congress party, replaced incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he defeated in a March 28 election. As Buhari took office, Nigeria faced a number of challenges, including political corruption and shortages of electric power. Deadly attacks by Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that supports Muslim extremists in Nigeria, have also plagued the nation. During his inaugural speech in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Buhari called Boko Haram “a mindless, godless group, who are as far away from Islam as one can think.”

New Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari salutes his supporters during his inauguration in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 29, 2015. AP Photo/Sunday Alamba

The inauguration took place with much fanfare in Abuja’s central Eagle Square. Nigerian flags flew among the flags of dozens of other nations, and soldiers marched smartly before giant posters of Buhari and his running mate, former law professor Yemi Osinbajo. Red carpets and floral arrangements contrasted with the barbed wire, barricades, and intense security surrounding Eagle Square. Many high-level dignitaries attended the event, including South African President Jacob Zuma and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. The peaceful transition of power came as a great relief in Nigeria, where elections often result in violence.

On Dec. 31, 1983, Buhari, then a major general in the Nigerian Army, led a coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari, and Buhari took dictatorial powers. His regime, noted for its strict policies and human rights abuses, was itself overthrown in August 1985. Military rule in Nigeria ended in 1999.

Other World Book articles:

• Africa (1985-a Back in Time article)
• Nigeria (1984-a Back in Time article)
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• Nigeria (2003-a Back in Time article)
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• Nigeria (2009-a Back in Time article)
• Nigeria (2010-a Back in Time article)
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• Nigeria (2012-a Back in Time article)
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• Nigeria (2014-a Back in Time article)