Inauguration Coverage
President Joe Biden’s inaugural speech emphasizes unity and its power by allowing the diversity he has shown through his cabinet picks to reflect onto the performers and guest speakers.
Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old Los Angeles native poet, said, “If we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthrights.”
Similar to what president Biden repeatedly said, “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we’re all created equally and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart.”
Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” synchronized with president’s Biden’s speech by highlighting how unity and leading with examples can help develop a better future for those who come and start reversing adverse effects that are “led by examples of our power” as president Biden said.
Gorman, who grew up on the Westside Regions of Los Angeles County, California and attended New Roads School, distinctly remembers the visible differences of anyone’s social-economic background.
Gorman’s poem mentions moments of disbelief, such as the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Yet, she paints moments like those as wounds and opportunities for living generations to unite to create a better America for generations to come.
Becoming one amongst Maya Angelou, Robert Frost and a couple more, her deliberate prose reminded audiences of an important message.
“But while democracy can be periodically delayed, It can never be permanently defeated,” said Amanda Gorman.