WriteGirl will be hosting an online watch party on Inauguration Day for its volunteers, alumnae and current teen participants to watch her performance.
Amanda will perform her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the event, which also includes the national anthem sung by Lady Gaga and a musical performance by Jennifer Lopez. Other participants in the swearing-in ceremony include Father Leo J. O’Donovan delivering the invocation, Andrea Hall leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman giving the benediction.
Amanda was born and raised in Los Angeles, and from an early age, she turned to writing to cope with her speech impediment. At age 14, she joined WriteGirl and attended WriteGirl’s monthly creative writing workshops on genres ranging from poetry to songwriting. She was matched with writing mentors for one-on-one mentoring, and while in WriteGirl, Amanda was named the first-ever Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate.
“WriteGirl has been pivotal in my life. It’s been thanks to their support that I’ve been able to chase my dreams as a writer,” Amanda said. “Special shout-out to my former mentors Michelle and Dinah. Couldn’t have gotten here without you!”
Amanda Gorman is the youngest Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, at just 22 years old. She also made history in 2017 when she was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. Amanda recently graduated cum laude from Harvard University and she has two books forthcoming with Penguin Random House – her children's book Change Sings and an upcoming poetry collection.
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