National youth poet laureate\u00a0Amanda Gorman\u2019s recitation of \u201cThe Hill We Climb,\u201d at Joe Biden\u2019s presidential inauguration in the United States captured the attention of a nation and people globally.<\/p>\n
Gorman highlighted the power of poets in our current sociopolitical context to speak unique and timely truths, while tapping into larger literary traditions. Some commentators were reminded of\u00a0the legacy of Black women poets<\/a>\u00a0like Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander who delivered\u00a0inaugural poems<\/a>\u00a0respectively at\u00a0Bill Clinton\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Barack Obama\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0inaugurations. The ring\u00a0Gorman wore was a tribute to Maya Angelou<\/a>\u00a0and a gift from Oprah Winfrey.<\/p>\n Gorman\u00a0inspired people\u00a0of\u00a0all ages\u00a0with the notion\u00a0of seeing and being light. The day after the inauguration\u00a0two of her books topped Amazon\u2019s bestseller list<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gorman moved many in a time of\u00a0geopolitical uncertainty\u00a0and a pandemic with the\u00a0power of critical hope, something\u00a0that combats hollow positivity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Gorman moved many in a time of\u00a0geopolitical uncertainty<\/a>\u00a0and a pandemic with the\u00a0power of critical hope<\/a>, something\u00a0that combats hollow positivity<\/a>. In the words of educator and literary theorist Ira Shor, critical hope asks us to \u201cchallenge the actual in the name of the possible<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n We are researchers who have studied how youth carve out legacies and how\u00a0storytelling can teach and inspire critical hope<\/a>. What struck us in hearing Gorman speak was how, at\u00a0the age of 22, the poet taps into the power of generativity, a concept that refers to creating a legacy that lasts beyond our lifetimes to shape future generations.<\/p>\n As she recited: \u201cBut one thing is certain: If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children\u2019s birthright.\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n