Amanda Gorman
A poet and activist who became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, using her words to envision a more just and unified America.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American poet and activist·Birthday: March 7·Generation Z
Biography
Amanda Gorman didn't just read a poem at a presidential inauguration; she conducted a national moment of collective breath and reflection. At 22, standing at the Capitol on a blustery January day in 2021, she delivered 'The Hill We Climb,' a work of stunning clarity and hope that addressed a country reeling from insurrection and pandemic. The performance, marked by her vivid yellow coat and deliberate cadence, catapulted her to global fame. But Gorman was already a formidable literary force, having been named the first National Youth Poet Laureate years prior. Her work, from her early collection 'The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough' to her celebratory children's book 'Change Sings,' is rooted in a deep commitment to social justice, feminism, and the African diaspora. She writes with a rhythmic, oracular power meant to be heard, transforming poetry from a private art into a public, galvanizing force for change.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Amanda was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amanda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Amanda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest poet to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration, delivering 'The Hill We Climb' for President Joe Biden in 2021.
- Appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States in 2017.
- Published three bestselling books that topped multiple lists simultaneously following her inauguration performance.
- Delivered an original poem at the Super Bowl LV pre-game ceremony in 2021, honoring pandemic frontline workers.
Did You Know?
She has an auditory processing disorder and is hypersensitive to sound, which influenced her relationship with the spoken rhythms of poetry.
She wore a ring with a caged bird, a gift from Oprah Winfrey and a tribute to Maya Angelou, for her inaugural performance.
She recited a poem for the 'Today' show at age 16 and has been writing since she was a child.
She is a graduate of Harvard University, where she studied sociology.
“For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.”
