Cleo Wade Says She Is 'Proud' of Amanda Gorman for 'Opening the Minds of So Many Women of Color'

Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty

Cleo Wadehas a lot of hope for the future, thanks to bright, young stars likeAmanda Gorman, who are paving the way for the next generation.

With herpowerful reading of “The Hill We Climb"during the event, Gorman, who recently gracedthe cover ofTime, captivated viewers around the world as she became just the sixth poet to read a piece at a presidential inauguration,accordingto the Academy of American Poets.

Cleo Wade.Rony Alwin

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden.Rob Carr/Getty

The inaugural reading turned the poet into an overnight sensation, leading to her also becoming the first person to recite a poem at the Super Bowl and landing hera contract with IMG Models.

“And I only hope for her to get bigger and bigger and rise more and more, and for us to fall deeper and deeper into appreciation of her, because she’s not only opening the doors for so many other young women of color, but she’s also opening the minds of so many women of color,” Wade says.

“Saying whatever it is you’re thinking, however you’re thinking about it is worth saying or speaking or sharing, and that’s the beauty of poetry. It’s never really right or wrong, it’s just authentic or it’s not,” theWhat the Road Saidauthor continues. “I think that she’s going to give such freedom and liberation to the next generation to really express themselves, and that is really exciting.”

And like Gorman, Wade knows exactly what it’s like to have her words shared across social media and on different platforms, helping to guide people amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

source: people.com