Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem inspires school to move to a new paradigm

The Controversy Surrounding Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Poem

The Situation

Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate in the US, delivered an awe-inspiring poem, “The Hill We Climb” during the inauguration of President Joe Biden earlier this year. However, a parent in Miami-Dade County requested that the school where their children attend remove the poem and several others from the library shelves because of their alleged reference to critical race theory and indoctrination. Consequently, the school decided to move Gorman’s poem to the middle school section of the library, making it unavailable to younger students.

The Response from Amanda Gorman and School District

Amanda Gorman, in a social media post, expressed her disappointment concerning the school’s decision to limit the access of young readers to “The Hill We Climb.” She noted that the poem was written to enable young people to see themselves in a historical moment, and book bans of this nature could only deny them from perceiving it. In contrast, the Miami-Dade School District claimed that the book remained available in the middle school section of the library, where, after careful review, they considered it better suited for middle school students.

Philosophical Discussion

Book banning is an age-long challenge in the US, as individuals or groups often attempt to restrict or suppress access to specific books due to their content, ideologies, themes, or perspective. However, such attempts not only limit free speech and access to materials but could also lead to an intellectual deficit in society.

As a country that values the freedom of speech and expression, book banning could be considered a contradiction to those values. The right to access information and ideas is essential in ensuring the open exchange of information necessary for a healthy democracy. By banning books, individuals or groups use their power to silence voices, perspectives, or ideas. Such actions may prevent individuals from engaging in critical thinking, limit intellectual diversity, and discourage the pursuit of knowledge.

Editorial and Advice

Book banning has been a contentious topic in the US, with several groups advocating for greater access to information and breaking down barriers that limit the freedom to read. In this situation, the parent who requested the removal of Gorman’s poem could have expressed their concern with the school and engaged in a dialogue that fostered understanding and harmony. It is vital to understand that children need to be exposed to diverse perspectives and ideas to prepare them for life in a multicultural and inclusive society.

Furthermore, schools have an essential role in promoting access to information and supporting intellectual freedom. Challenging books inevitably provide an opportunity to examine, teach, and learn from diverse ideas, perspectives, and ideologies. Thus, schools need to have policies and procedures in place that ensure their libraries provide access to their collections, regardless of content and ideology, while ensuring students’ health and wellbeing are preserved.

In conclusion, education is a tool for expanding knowledge, fostering critical thinking and encouraging intellectual diversity. Book banning only reduces the scope of knowledge and intellectual curiosity and is a consequence of reinforcing cultural ignorance. Therefore, schools and parents must engage in dialogues that promote access to information and celebrate diversity, while respecting individuals’ diverse perspectives.