“The Hill We Climb” (2021) is the poem Amanda Gorman wrote and read for the inauguration of US President Biden. She follows in the footsteps of inaugural poets like Robert Frost and Maya Angelou – at age 22!
She presents a Black Liberal view of this moment in US history, where a White nationalism tried to overthrow democracy.
Excerpts:
“We’ve braved the belly of the beast, we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace. And the norms and notions of what ‘just is’ isn’t always justice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it, somehow we do it. Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.”
“And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.”
“And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide, because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all.”
“Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: that even as we grieved, we grew; that even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together victorious, not because we will never again know defeat but because we will never again sow division.”
“Scripture tells us to envision that ‘everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.’ [Micah 4:4] If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade but in all the bridges we’ve made.”
“We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.”
“In this truth, in this faith we trust for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception.”
“We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves. So while once we asked ‘how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe,’ now we assert: ‘how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?'”
“We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.”
– Abagond, 2021.
See also:
- The full poem: video, text.
- The last 12 months:
- Maya Angelou
- Black Liberals
- US White nationalism
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Yawn, so much verbal fluff. A more succinct and honest description of the failure of Trump’s Keystone Kops coup (manqué) would go like this: They stampeded and galumphed in the halls of Congress, in a haze of confusion, they lost the plot, took a few selfies, made a mess and galumphed back to their habitual obscurity. Oh, Senescence where is thy sting?
Abagond, how’s that Trump Derangement Syndrome now that the witch is gone?
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Imagery
Dark skin african american female
reads a “poem”
hair braided with a big red band or something.
In my view black people in general and black females in particular have a real problem with confronting reality honestly.
Imagine if instead you had the same black female with just a afro , period.
And making a factual statement about what and why this country never was and may never be the democracy it try’s to gaslight the world into believing it is.
And what we could possibly practically do as citizens to change it.
Like Dr. Welsing said fear leads to circular reasoning.
round and around we go.
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As a side note and speaking not of poem itself, I was impressed to see a White American President saying out loud that he will fight to defeat “White Supremacy”.
I didn’t even know that that concept – White Supremacy – was already recognized by the society at large as as real, objective one, least that a White individual, at that level of responsibility, would look at it and openly recognize it as a danger to the American project. Very interesting…
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Come on, the girl is cute. As for Biden defeating “White Supremacy”, a nebulous term that can mean whatever you want it to mean, I’d be impressed if he had kept his $2,000 stimulus promise and if he came out for Medicare for All, stuff that have real impacts on people’s lives.
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@Abagond
I’ve noticed a grammatical error here. It should read either:
“where a White NATIONALIST [caps mine]…”
or,
…”where White NATIONALISM..”
Take your pick, Abagond. As written, it sounds a bit wonky.
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I reblogged this.
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Mbeti
“In my view black people in general and black females in particular have a real problem with confronting reality honestly.”
This makes sense. You have black people in this day and age, that still call white cops to their home for “help”.
I watched a video on Facebook last night, where a news segment reported on a black family’s father was shot and killed by a white racist police officer, when they called for a “wellness check”, because they’re father was having a mental episode over him saying, “praise Jesus” loudly.
The dispatch didn’t send a wellness check officer that they sent the day before, because he was off duty, so they sent the white killer of black people version instead.
This black family trusted a white supremacist system to send out someone to take care of their black father as if they give a damn about him.
It’s as if his family pulled the trigger themselves…. They get no sympathy from me.
As for this young black female, she simply white washed the current climate with a poem. It’s typical of black people to calm white people’s white guilt and black people’s fears with pretty words and fancy speeches.
I call this…the obama speech affect.
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I am not much of a fan of poetry, but I thought it was impressive that Amanda Gorman struggled with a speech impediment. I thought she looked lovely yesterday at the Inauguration. She has beautiful dark skin and looked radiant like sunshine..
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@ Mary Burrell
Same here. Gorman’s lovely skin tone was really complemented by her sun yellow coat and red headband.
As for the content of her poem, it’s not like the Biden Administration was going to feature a poet with more radical views. After all, her presentation had to fit into Biden’s Inaugural theme of national unity. An unlikely outcome at this time.
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” black females in particular have a real problem with confronting reality honestly.”
Well obviously this is an obvious example of sexiest bias on my part.
my excuse/reason?
some black females therefore all black females cause its easier and safer to criticize females than males.
As well as the fact that all black people including myself live our entire lives under threat of death if we don’t appease white people.
We know from recent events as well as the entirety of our experiences in America that any mass movement of black people no matter how positive or peaceful ,well be met with the most lethal and ruthless violence for which we can expect no apology or remorse.
Still you have my apologies for I experience the shame and humiliation from knowing once you say something online ,it will last the rest of your days and beyond and a retraction or apology is mere fluff and privilege
on the street and in jail ,in public ,in person
you said what you said and will be held account for it.
if other human being don’t I make more than one mistake ,get it twisted, forget ,over or under react etc
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Amanda Gorman was already a rising star in the poetry world before the inauguration. She has recited in very high places, including the inauguration of the president of her Alma Mater, Harvard, where she was a Lev. The poem was excellence to a high degree in terms of its writing. In terms of vocal delivery, it was a transcendent moment. It doesn’t hurt that Amanda is a lovely young woman and the goldenrod outfit (and red hair band) her stylists put on her created a stunning visual image against the predominantly blue background. It was almost a much a watershed moment as the famous Obama speech at the Democratic national convention.
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Amanda Gorman is the publisher of three books, and she also got a modeling contract. The stars in the universe are aligned for this young sister.
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Amanda Gorman tweeted she was followed by a security guard after taking a walk outside her apartment building. He told her she looked suspicious. She showed him her key and was able to buzz herself back into her building. He didn’t apologize. Gorman tweeted how “One moment you are an icon, and the next day you are a threat.” Moral of the story, You can’t Black Excellence your way out of racism.
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“You can’t Black Excellence your way out of Racism”
Quote of the damn year. Quote of the goddamn year.
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Biden enjoys using black people as convenient props to hide his own white supremacist nature, doesn’t he?
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I am responding to someone liking my first comment
I am currently reaqainting my self with my family and the history of my life growing up.
I can clearly see where my hostility comes from.
What if you had a mother and she had traits common to many throughout your society like you?
What if She regularly brutally beat you and your siblings for the slightest reason out of frustration and ignorance?
What if she was very overweight because she was “addicted” to foul smelling high salt high fat overcooked food originally all you where given during slavery
Now a valued be poisonous cuisine?
What if she was also overweight and out of shap because she rarely ever exercised for her own benefit?
What if she was deeply ashamed of her natural hair ,so much so that she will spend much of her meager resource on wigs to hide and conceal her learned self hate?
What if she regularly bought these wigs from stores run exclusively by people that don’t look like her and are rude and abusive ,would never hire her or her people even though her and her people are their primary customers?
What if she was single because although she had sexual intercourse to produce the child and carried it to birth
She had an extremely hostile and antagonistic of your father in particular and black men in general?
What if some of your brothers and sisters had to be taken from her due to abuse and neglect?
I you reunite with them years later and realised how much more fortunate they where.?
What if she was a “devout” Christian with a Bible in the house ,regularly prays
And has picture of a white European Jesus on the wall?
And with all this you grow up poor
Never mentioning or discussing racism
Sexual reproduction, American history ,finances budgeting or money or anything of substance and value that could change or improve your or your peoples lives?
What if she is dead now ,died far to young for obvious reasons?
And her childern espially your sisters are in too many ways just like your mother?
While this pattern is definitely not true for all African Americans, many of these are true For far to many
All are true for me
And while other groups suffer similar fates among some of their members
Ours is unique in how regardless of their own treatment they all partispate in our mistreatment.
I await a peer review for I still do not trust my own reasoning
and I have no support
Such is the hate and hostility that I was born into
And surrounds me to this day…
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@ Mbeti
You managed to caricature your own mother as a “Sapphire” stereotype. The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia has a very detailed article about that particular stereotype:
https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/antiblack/sapphire.htm
That said, I have no doubt that most of your observations of your mother’s behavior are valid. I find it regrettable that you were forced to endure her anger and frustration. There is no excuse for her beating you. I understand your enduring resentment of that type of treatment during your childhood.
However, Mbeti, I urge you to go deeper. You said you were, “currently reaqainting my self with my family and the history of my life…”. A good place to start is with any grandparents, great uncles and aunts, especially on your mother’s side of the family.
Ask them about your mother’s childhood. What did she have to endure as a child? Was she regularly beaten? Was she emotionally, verbally or sexually abused? Was she effectively abandoned by her own father during her childhood? Anything she lacked or had to put up with as a girl was carried forward to her own children. You felt that most keenly.
Also consider her life as a mother. Did she have to work two or more jobs at any point to provide for you and your siblings? Did she have a network of friends and relatives to help her out and provide respite from her responsibilities as a parent?
I bring that up because, my own mother had an arrangement with her mother to keep my siblings and me for entire weekends once or twice a month. We loved spending time at my grandmother’s home and attending church with her. I didn’t think about it too much at the time, but now I know how much that time to herself, with her adult friends and somtimes with my father kept her on even keel. Those weekends were her mental and emotional health weekends.
What about your biological father? Did you ever see him express concern, affection or caring to your mother or to you? Did your biological father provide for you financially? Did he spend any time with you? Did he remember your birthdays?
Finally Mbeti, I urge you to consider how much emotional and mental work you have done? How much have you monitored, examined, purged and rebuilt your own beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since you became an adult?
I get that you have been most concerned with sheer survival over the past decade. However, now is the time to go deeper. If you can do so get some counseling. There is no shame in working those issues out with a qualified professional.
Growing up Black in this country can deform your mind, your heart and your spirit. Not many Black people escape the harm this culture does to us. Your mother didn’t, you didn’t and I didn’t. However, it is possible to move beyond our childhood conditioning and become whole human beings.
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That poem of Amanda Gorman reminded me that a cultural revolution oft is a earlier sign of a broader revolution to come, which in the case of former Portuguese possessions in Africa, led to the creation of new nations.
Those new countries emerged in the mid seventies, from the fall of the Portuguese empire, but to search for the seeds of the cultural revolution that came before, one must go back to the middle of the 20th century, or even before.
And back then those seeds amalgamated diverse influences, like the Négritude movement in the Francophone world and powerful shock waves coming from the Harlem Renaissance in America.
To give you a taste of what I’m saying, let me present to you a free translation of a known poem of a Mozambican muse, Noémia de Sousa* (1926-2002), entitled, “Deixem passar o meu povo” (Let my people go/pass)
Mozambique warm night
and distant sounds of marimba reach me
– certain and constant –
even I don’t know where.
In my wooden and zinc home,
I open the radio and let myself be rocked…
But the voices of America stir my soul and my nerves.
And Robeson and Marian sing for me
black Harlem spirituals.
«Let my people go»
– oh let my people pass by,
let my people pass –
they say.
And I open my eyes and I can’t sleep anymore.
Anderson and Paul ring inside me
and they are not sweet rocking voices.
«Let my people go».
Nervously,
I sit at the table and write …
(Inside of me,
let my people pass by,
«Oh let my people go…»)
And I’m no longer an instrument
of my blood in turmoil
with Marian helping me
with your deep voice – my Sister.
I write…
At my table, familiar figures come to lean over.
My Mother with rough hands and a tired face
and revolts, pains, humiliations,
tattooing the virgin white paper in black.
And Paulo, who I don’t know
but it’s the same blood from the same beloved sap from Mozambique,
and miseries, barred windows, goodbyes of magaíças**,
cotton, and my unforgettable white companion,
and Zé – my brother – and Saul,
and you, friend of sweet blue eyes,
taking my hand and forcing me to write
with the gall that comes from the revolt.
Everyone comes to lean over my shoulder,
as I write, night ahead,
with Marian and Robeson watching through the radio’s luminous eye
– «let my people go».
oh let my people go.
And as long as they come to me from Harlem
mourning voices
and my family figures visit me
on long sleepless nights,
I will not be able to let myself be rocked by futile music
of Strauss’ waltzes.
I will write, I will write,
with Robeson and Marian yelling at me:
«Let my people go»
OH LET MY PEOPLE PASS.
The original in Portuguese language you can find in many different webpages, but one of them is https://aviagemdosargonautas.net/2011/10/19/um-cafe-na-internet-let-my-people-go-por-noemia-de-sousa/
*Noémia de Sousa is said to be mother of modern Mozambican poetry, as a tribute to her influence in that domain.
**Magaíça, name given to all young people from Southern Mozambique, who went to South Africa, to work in the mines of gold, coal, diamond, etc around the city of Johannesburg, since the first half- of the 20th century.
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@ Munubantu
Thank you for sharing those beautiful verses by Noémia de Sousa. Her words reminded me of the books and articles I read about the Négritude Movement of the 1930s.
I still remember a few of the the stirring words of Aimé Césaire, Léopold Sédar Senghor, and Léon-Gontran Damas from my days in college. Thank you for helping me to remember how often people in the African Diaspora “rise like dust” and lift other Diasporans with their efforts, even though they are oceans away.
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Black Americans, in particular, with their multifaceted efforts at self-improvement and self-affirmation, helped Black people worldwide, Africans and Diasporans alike, to rise to their own challenges. They were, to some extent, a role model. There is no doubt about it.
And this is what I wanted to stress in my previous comment.
And this is one of the reasons why I become angry when I see some African immigrants (or students) snubbing at Black Americans when they are allowed into the USA. This should not happen. In this regard, we are failing somehow as a group of people that others oft try to put down worldwide. We should pass to the new generations a legacy of self-respect and self-love and a broad understanding of where they come, what hardships their ancestors went through, in order to be where they are today. Let’s say, a better knowledge of history and a better acknowledgment of the need of more unity of Black people worldwide.
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@ munubantu
Years ago, I had a conversation with a Black businesswoman from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. We talked about negative feelings between native born Black folk and Black immigrant communities.
She told me how often US immigration officials repeated this warning to her and and her family during their applications for legal residency and citizenship:
“Stay away from Black Americans. They are nothing but trouble. They will bring your people down.”
She told me how she and her family were scared stiff of Black Americans for years after that propaganda barrage. It took her a while to figure out that Black Americans were ordinary people like the ones they left behind in St. Kitts.
Eventually she married a Black American man, had a family and built a thriving business together.
Sometimes when I encounter African or Diasporan immigrants avoiding me or eyeing me suspiciously, I think of the “divide and conquer” ugliness pedaled by US immigration officials. You can bet they don’t sell such silliness to European immigrants about White Americans.
The irony is that the Civil Rights Movement had a direct impact on the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. Black Americans, through the Civil Rights Movement, helped loosen restrictions for millions of non-European immigrants and refugees seeking residency and citizenship in the USA.
https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/us-immigration-since-1965
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@Afrofem: Your post always teach me something. This was a very good read. Peace and blessings to you.
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@ Mary B.
The amount of anti-Blackness in every corner of this country can be mind-blowing.
I wish just a tenth of that effort went into creating a just society for all US residents. Imagine those results?
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