Black Female Poet at Biden Inauguration "Security Guard Treated Me Like a Suspicious Person"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old Black female poet who recited a poem at U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration, revealed that she was treated as a suspicious person by a security guard in front of her home. This is interpreted as highlighting that racial discrimination in the United States remains serious even after the transition to the Biden administration.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 6th (local time), Gorman posted on her Twitter account, "On my way home, a security guard said I looked suspicious and chased me to verify if I was an actual resident." After Gorman showed her house key and entered the building, the security guard left but did not offer an apology.

Gorman pointed out, "This is the reality that Black women face," adding, "One day I am called an icon, but the next day I am called a threatening presence." In another post, she said, "In a sense, it was accurate that the security guard considered me a threat," explaining, "I am a threat to social injustice, inequality, and ignorance."

Earlier, on January 20th, Gorman gained attention by passionately reciting her original poem "The Hill We Climb" as the youngest poet at President Biden's inauguration. Following the inauguration, Gorman's poetry collection ranked on bestseller lists at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and her Twitter followers increased to nearly 1.5 million.