Wednesday's Inauguration ceremony included an address from the nation's first-ever 'youth poet laureate' - 22-year-old Amanda Gorman from Los Angeles!
Gorman, an activist and Harvard graduate, read a poem titled, "The Hill We Climb, declaring "We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be, a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free."
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Much like President Biden, Gorman overcame a speech impediment when she was a child. And now, she's the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history...
"It's made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be," she told the Los Angeles Times. "When you have to teach yourself how to say sounds, when you have to be highly concerned about pronunciation, it gives you a certain awareness of sonics, of the auditory experience."
Fun fact: Gorman was chosen for the ceremony after first lady Jill Biden saw her preform at the Library of Congress!
Take a listen to Gary and Shannon discuss the history-making poet below:
Read the full transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem on The Hill.