Amanda Gorman, the country’s first Youth Poet Laureate, recited an emotional poem on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
In her poem, Gorman spoke about the American dream, incorporating some themes from Obama’s 2006 autobiography, The Audacity of Hope.
“The future will be defined not by our hardships but by the boldness of our hope, by the vitality of our voice,” Gorman recited. “Only now, as we approach this rarefied air, do we realize that the American dream may not be a dream at all, but rather the challenge to dream together.”
The 26-year-old rose to national prominence in 2017 after being named the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate. In 2021, she also became the youngest poet to write and recite her work at a presidential inauguration.
Here is the full text of Gorman’s poem “This Sacred Scene”:
We gather in this sacred place because we believe in the American dream.
We are in a race to determine whether this country we hold so dear will disappear from the face of the earth, and whether our earth will perish with it.
It is up to us to ensure that we do not fall victim to a people that cannot stand together, that cannot stand together at all.
We are one family, regardless of religion, class or color. Because what makes a patriot is not only our love of freedom, but our love for one another.
This call resounds loudly in our country, for we all love freedom, but it is love that sets us all free.
Empathy liberates and makes us greater than hatred or vanity. That is the American promise, powerful and pure. Divided we cannot endure, but united we can strive to humanize our democracy and bring democracy closer to humanity.
And make no mistake: unity is the hardest task in history, but the future will be determined not by the likelihood of our suffering but by the boldness of our hope and the vitality of our voice.
Only now, in this thin air, do we realize that the American dream may not be a dream at all, but rather the challenge of dreaming together.
Like a million roots humbly branching out to form a tree, this is our country. From many, one; from battles won; from our celebrated freedoms; our kingdom is coming, has only just begun.
We save this sacred scene. Ready for our journey. Together we must bring forth this early republic and reach a transcendent summit. Let us not just believe in the American dream. Let us be worthy of it.
