Amanda Gorman
Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — Amanda Gorman, the Los Angeles native who read her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony in 2021, has been appoin ted by UNICEF USA as its newest ambassador.
Gorman began working with UNICEF USA in 2021 and has used her platform to educate, advocate and fundraise on behalf of the world’s children, with a special focus on children in emergency settings.
UNICEF USA is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization in the United States that supports the United Nations Children’s Fund.
During the 2022 U.N. General Assembly, Gorman recited the poem “An Ode We Owe” to call for action on global issues like the climate crisis, poverty and inequality. The poem emphasizes the importance of equity and coming together for collective action.
“Working with UNICEF has shown me that when we choose to uplift children, we are choosing to uplift our shared future,” said Gorman, now 27. “It is an honor to become a UNICEF ambassador and to stand with an organization that turns possibility into action every single day, especially for children living through crisis.
“I couldn’t be prouder to work alongside UNICEF and continue to support their mission to provide essential aid to children worldwide,” she added.
“We are honored to welcome Amanda to our family of UNICEF ambassadors,” said UNICEF USA President and CEO Michael J. Nyenhuis. “Amanda has a singular talent for communicating the weight of a moment in a way that invites conversation and enacts change.
“From climate disasters like Hurricane Melissa to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, there has never been a more critical time to advocate for the rights of children,” Nyebhuis added. “We are thrilled for Amanda to formally join UNICEF’s mission of relentlessly pursuing a more equitable world for every child and look forward to watching her inspire the next generation of philanthropists.”
Gorman was born
This October, Gorman visited UNICEF Supply Division, the organization’s global supply and logistics hub and the largest humanitarian warehouse in the world. Gorman learned from UNICEF experts about the intricacies of UNICEF’s global operations, and how Supply Division procures and distributes lifesaving items that support UNICEF’s essential programs and emergency response. Gorman learned about the over 400 emergencies UNICEF responded to in 2024 and helped pack supply boxes that were immediately dispatched to children living in conflict.
Born in 1998 in Los Angeles, Gorman was raised by her mother, Joan Wicks, a sixth-grade English teacher in Watts. She attended She attended New Roads, a private school in Santa Monica and received a Miliken Family Foundation college scholarship to attend Harvard.
She studied sociology at Harvard, graduating cum laude. The youngest presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history, Gorman has become a dedicated advocate for the environment, racial equity and gender justice.
The special edition of her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” was published in March 2021, followed by her debut picture book “Change Sings” and poetry collection “Call Us What We Carry,” each debuting at number one on multiple bestsellers lists.
“Call Us What We Carry” also was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
As UNICEF’s newest Ambassador, Gorman joins a roster of high-profile individuals who advocate for children’s rights on behalf of UNICEF including Sofia Carson, Selena Gomez, Laurie Hernandez, Justin H. Min and Pink, among others.
