Jessica Navarro-Gilmore

My favorite moment today was hearing Amanda Gorman read her original poem, “The Hill We Climb.” At just 23 years old, Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet ever, and with good reason. Her speech today stopped me cold in my tracks as I sat there and hung onto her every word as if it were my last breath. She represents the power of women, the power of Black people, the power of disabled people, the power of artists. Amanda Gorman today gave us so much today, and for those of us who are the intersection of all four (Black, disabled, women, and artists), she gave us more than we could have ever asked for. 

As she said in her poem, “A skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.”

I’ve dropped the transcript for her entire poem below and the link to the video is in the sources of this post at the bottom! Please read/listen to it!

You cannot be a compulsive liar or gaslighter and be a “good person.” Why not? Most of what goes into being a “good person” is integrity. Can I trust what you say? Do you say what you mean? Is what you say consistent with what you know to be true? What would the upside have to be for you to be willing to lie to someone’s face? Behind their back? What sort of lies do you believe are okay? Is there…

You cannot be a compulsive liar or gaslighter and be a “good person.” Why not? Most of what goes into being a “good person” is integrity. Can I trust what you say? Do you say what you mean? Is what you say consistent with what you know to be true? What would the upside have to be for you to be willing to lie to someone’s face? Behind their back? What sort of lies do you believe are okay? Is there…

I hope you don't have a ectopic pregnancy, because the procedure that will save your life is an abortion.

I hope you don't have a still born baby that your body can't naturally pass because that induction is an abortion.

I hope you are never in a place where carrying a baby full term would mean your death (as mine would, my doctor looked me in the eyes and told me if I get pregnant again I WILL NOT MAKE IT, and fuck you all because my kids need a mom more than they need a sibling.)

I hope you don't find out your baby has a condition that will mean being alive for how ever long will cause them excruciating pain, that you don't have to birth your baby and watch them die a horrific, painful death in your arms.

I hope you aren't raped and forced to carry that baby to term no matter the detriment to your mental/physical health.

I hope you aren't forced to give birth to your abusers child, giving you no way out of the relationship.

I hope your 10 year old is never assaulted and have to carry a baby to term that will almost definitely will kill her.

I hope that you don't go to jail when they investigate your miscarriage and determine that something you did made it YOUR FAULT.

I hope you realize you and your daughters will die from laws you created.

19 innocent lives stolen at school.

Their parents probably kissed them before they got on their bus or were dropped off in a car line. Their parents never thought that today would be the very last time they'd see them.

I cannot fathom the pain these parents are feeling right now and will feel in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Or the family of the teacher either.

Something has to change with the politics of guns in America. The people that died today are not pawns in some political game. The laws MUST change. I'm tired of hearing people say "Guns aren't the problem. It's the people who have the guns that are the problem."

NO. Guns ARE the problem.