09/10/2026
The Hill We Climb
Excerpts from the poem created and recited by Amanda Gorman at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, January 2021
“When day comes, we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade...
Somehow, we do it.
Somehow, we’ve weathered
and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken,
but simply unfinished…
That even as we grieved, we grew.
That even as we hurt, we hoped;
that even as we tired, we tried…
And so, we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,
but what stands before us…
The hill we climb if only we dare it...
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour,
but within it, we found the power
to author a new chapter.
While once we asked,
“How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert:
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us…
a country that is bruised, but whole;
benevolent, but bold; fierce and free.
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation,
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation…
When day comes, we step out of the shade
aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
