Our Testimony.

This book is a message in a bottle.

This book is a letter.

This book does not let up.

This book is awake.

This book is a wake.

For what is a record but a reckoning?

The capsule captured? 

A repository,

An ark articulated?

& the poet, the preserver

Of ghosts & gains,

Our demons & dreams,

Our haunts & hopes.

Here’s to the preservation

Of a light so terrible.

                     ~ Amanda Gorman

Who is Amanda Gorman? 

Ms. Gorman is a poet and activist. The work that she has created over the years is primarily focused on the acts of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization. She was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate, and became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S history when she recited her limelight poem, “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration.

What are Gorman’s goals? Her message? 

In an interview with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gorman explains that when she writes or speaks, it’s not to transform anyone. “My goal has never been to convert every young person into a professional writer; my goal is to make sure every young person has the literacy skills they need to raise their voice and change their communities. That passion drives me every day,” she says. She articulates that her main goal is to give young people a voice, an opportunity to be heard, to express themselves, and to set an example for the upcoming generation. 

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On December 7th, 2021, the #1 New York Times bestselling author published the poetry book, Call Us What We Carry, in hopes it could be “a lyric of hope and healing,” as she said in an interview. Gorman writes in a preeminent format by exploring different styles and structures of writing. Throughout this very eloquent text, or should I say, eloquent message in a bottle, Gorman focuses her writing on the history, language, and deletion of the history of black people. 

Gorman also forms her writing in a very meticulous way. In the beginning of the book, she pinpoints: 

“For all of us both hurting & healing who choose to carry on” …………….

I believe that this statement offers the purpose of where this reading is heading, beforehand. It indicates that the reader will digest her powerful words differently, such as in a way for an accurate comprehension. 

As I was reading, I wondered who Gorman’s intended audience was, and given the way I digested her message, perhaps she was talking directly to the Black community. I noticed that she took a turn where she discussed the lost history of African-Americans. 

We are more than just Americans and more than just “Black people.” We are connected to the lost tribes of Israel (Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Judah and Benjamin). Our history has been stolen, hidden, and misconstrued. Some people even mimic our trauma and make things we created, such as braids, into a trend without knowing or being deliberately ignorant to the history behind the hairstyle. Although we endured the trauma of segregation, oppression, and stolen last names, and although we still mourn the loss of our ancestors and the black lives that were taken in 2020 and previous years, we still choose to heal and finish what our ancestors started. 

Gorman’s words have a significant impact on all generations; I know she has to feel very accomplished for her age. After this incredible reading, I too will strive to spread an inspirational message across all nations one day. I can relate to Gorman’s upbringing as a young woman, and I know many young people of color who can relate to her as well. Our generation needs more role models and more people who encourage them to educate themselves. I feel as though this poetry book advocates that it is imperative for us to seek a deeper understanding of what it means to “become change.”