The Freedom in Her Voice: Amanda Gorman’s Art of Expression and Empowerment
- Jul 31, 2025
- 3 min read
When Amanda Gorman stepped onto the stage at the 2021 U.S. Presidential Inauguration and began to speak, the world stopped to listen. Draped in sunshine and words, she didn’t just recite a poem—she embodied a movement. Her voice, unshaken and clear, echoed far beyond the Capitol steps, carrying with it centuries of struggle, generations of hope, and the unyielding promise of a freer future. In a moment that felt both fragile and historic, Amanda Gorman reminded us that language is power—and that to speak truth is to claim liberation.
As the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, Amanda has become a symbol of how art can shape culture and conscience. But long before she stood in front of presidents and cameras, Amanda was already crafting freedom through verse. Her journey began not in grand arenas but in quiet moments of reflection and resistance, translating emotion and identity into lyrical force. Growing up as a Black girl with a speech impediment, Amanda’s early years were shaped by challenges to her voice—literally and metaphorically. But instead of shrinking, she leaned into her power. Poetry became her protest, her prayer, her platform.
Amanda writes in a tradition of poets who do more than rhyme—they reveal.
Like Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde before her, she doesn’t just describe the world; she dares to reimagine it. Her work, whether on the page or spoken aloud, demands attention not because it shouts, but because it tells the truth with clarity and grace. In her poems, Blackness is honored, womanhood is uplifted, and pain is never without purpose. Her verses trace the lines of injustice, but always bend toward hope.
This month in HANNA Magazine, we honor the theme “The Power to Be Heard”, and Amanda Gorman is that power personified. In a time when many feel voiceless or unheard, she reminds us that expression is a right—not a privilege—and that everyone deserves to tell their story. Through her poetry, she gives voice to those often left in silence: the marginalized, the dismissed, the unseen. And she does so not by softening the truth, but by elevating it.
What makes Amanda’s impact so profound is not just her talent, but her intention. She doesn't perform for applause; she speaks to awaken.
“When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.
The new dawn balloons as we free it.
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Whether she’s writing about racial justice, climate change, education, or unity, her message is rooted in a belief that words can move people to act—and that beauty and resistance can coexist. She once wrote, “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” These aren’t just poetic lines; they’re a call to live bravely, to be the light, and to speak even when the world would rather we stay silent.
Amanda also understands that identity is not something to hide but something to honor. As a young Black woman navigating fame, politics, and the literary world, she carries the dual weight of representation and authenticity. Yet she does so with poise, constantly pushing the boundaries of what it means to be young, gifted, and unapologetically free. Her very existence disrupts the narrative of who gets to be heard, who gets to lead, and whose stories matter.
Today, Amanda Gorman continues to rise—not just as a poet, but as a leader, a thinker, and a beacon for what is possible when we embrace expression as a form of independence. Her voice doesn’t just echo through microphones and bookshelves—it reverberates in classrooms, protests, living rooms, and dreams. She reminds us all that freedom doesn’t begin with noise—it begins with truth. And that the courage to speak that truth is the foundation of all change.
In honoring Amanda Gorman, we celebrate not just her poetry, but her power: the power to be heard, the power to inspire, and the power to shape a world where every voice matters.
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