Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, one of the most iconic speeches in American history, almost 60 years ago. It was a call to end racism. A call for equality. A call for civil and economic rights for all people regardless of their skin color. A call that was clearly ignored.
Why is it that 58 years after Dr. King delivered his speech calling for equality, people are chanting Black Lives Matter? Why is it that Black people are 3 times more likely than white people to be killed by a police officer? Why do Black workers earn less than their white counterparts? Why are Black students less likely to graduate from college? Why are Blacks still enslaved within the United States of America? The America that believes ‘all men are created equal.’
Our nation is broken and Dr. King, a man who believed that only love can drive out hate and only light can drive out darkness, would agree that--right now--there is a lack of love and light amongst our society. The issue, however, lies deeper within society. Racism is baked into the DNA of the United States and those who continue to exert hatred and hostility are trapped within the old America. Many of our own congresswomen and congressmen are stuck in the old America. The old America that did not know how to function with Blacks living free amongst them. But, now it is 2021 and we are living in the new America. This new America that was gifted to us when Shirley Chisholm ran for president, when Oprah Winfrey got her own talk show, when Colin Powell became secretary of state, and when Barack Obama was elected as president. For the past 4 years, we have been living in the old America, but I have fabulous news. With Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president, we are back to living in the new America.
They fight for what is right and support the new America. They make sure to embrace everyone within the new America, including Black, Brown, Asian, and other marginalized groups of people. They highlight the voices of those who have been discriminated against, like the outstanding voice of Amanda Gorman.
Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old from Los Angeles who was raised by her single mother, took after Maya Angelou on Wednesday, January 20th. Angelou read her poem, titled ‘On the Pulse of Morning’, at Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. She was the first African American and female to read a poem at a presidential inauguration. Gorman is now the second. Amanda Gorman is also the youngest poet to ever read at an inauguration. Her poem, titled ‘The Hill We Climb’, symbolizes all that Biden stands for. Equality, love, opportunity, and happiness. She and her poem received universal praise which earned her a spot at the upcoming Super Bowl LV.
It is known that her poem at the Super Bowl will honor pandemic heroes, but the way in which she will do this is unknown. Gorman can blow an audience away regardless of what she is doing, so it will be a privilege to watch her perform tomorrow night.
As for the future, Gorman has 2 new books releasing in September, one titled ‘The Hill We Climb and Other Poems’, and a children’s book titled ‘Change Sings’. She also plans to run for president in 2036, noting that Kamala Harris’ historical win solidified her plans.
People like Amanda Gorman, Maya Angelou, Kamala Harris, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have helped form our new America. They have laid the foundation down for a country that supports people like them. They have made me proud to be an American.
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