Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wanted to dance and sing and shine in front of a huge crowd.

And one day she would find her voice, and do just that…

Her name… is Amanda.

Amanda was born in 1998 in Los Angeles, California and lived there with her older brother, her twin sister and her mom.

When Amanda was a baby, she had an auditory processing disorder. So, as she learned to talk, she had certain letter sounds that just wouldn’t come out of her mouth — especially the letter R. She tried speech therapy and tongue depressors. She even tried not using any words with the “rrr” sound in it!

But that didn’t last long. Amanda had too much to say. So she started writing out all of her ideas, and she couldn’t stop.

Amanda’s first journal had purple pages. She named the journal Sarah and covered every inch of it with new ideas.

There she’d sit, on the playground, surrounded by shouting and laughing kids on the slides and swings, furiously scribbling in her purple pages.

When she got a little older Amanda started reading some of her poetry aloud to people too. She’d always wanted to perform, even though public speaking terrified her.

Standing backstage at poetry readings, she felt tremors of excitement and fear.

But – what would happen if she just left her words on the page and stayed silent?

That’s the question that really made Amanda step out into the spotlight. She couldn’t let fear make her stop speaking out.

And so, she put on her grandmother’s dew-drop necklace, and came up with an empowering mantra to say to herself before she went onstage:

“I am the daughter of Black writers who are descended from Freedom Fighters who broke their chains and changed the world. They call me.”

Amanda still says these words every time she’s about to go onstage. And by now, she’s been on some of the biggest stages in the world!

In December of 2020, Amanda’s phone rang. It was a call from President Elect Joe Biden’s Inaugural Committee! They asked her to read a poem at the presidential inauguration just a few weeks later.

But it wasn’t an easy poem to write. There was so much she wanted to say. She wanted to be inspiring, transforming, and connect people all over the country and even the world with the rhythm and momentum of her words. She thought about her mantra and all of her ancestors surrounding her, lifting her up to get to this moment.

On January 20th, 2021, Amanda became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.

It was cold in Washington, DC and snowing lightly that day. Amanda was dressed in a long, bright yellow coat and had a red headband on top of her braids like a crown. When she was introduced, she walked to the microphone in the middle of the stage. She found her breath. She found her mantra and her purpose. And she read the words she had written for that moment:

When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never ending shade?

The loss we carry, a sea.

We must wade.

Amanda spoke slowly, clearly, enunciating every word carefully. She raised her hands and swirled them in a sort of dance that moved with her ideas.

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. 

When she was done, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation. Everyone cheered for her poetry and vision..and her yellow coat, like a bright ray of hope.

Amanda’s vision and clarity have captured many people’s attention all over the globe. She’s recited her poetry for the Super Bowl and has two original books coming out soon! Plus, she’s promised that in 2036 she’ll run for President herself.

Amanda proves to us all that when we face our fears, find our voices, and connect ourselves to all the people who helped us get to today, anything and everything is possible.