Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman, American Poet

Black girls are typically stereotyped, in part, as angry and irrational. Growing up, this made me feel that if I were to express my inner thoughts, I would be categorized as 'emotional' because of my race and gender. But as I started writing poetry, I found that my thoughts and emotions weren't things to muzzle or silence; but that if I felt rage, I had reason, because it was caused by inequity and injustice. And so now I'm learning to see those things that I was afraid would stereotype me as some of my greatest wells in my artistic journey