Seasonal & Holidays
America's First Youth Poet Laureate To Join July 4 Pops Event
For the first time, the Fourth of July on the Esplanade will feature a poet. The Harvard student is the first U.S. Youth Poet laureate ever.
BOSTON — There's another act joining the July 4 Boston Pops extravaganza Thursday, Keith Lockhart conductor of the Boston Pops announced Tuesday at a press conference. The country's first youth poet laureate will be taking the stage alongside headlining performers Queen Latifa and Arlo Guthrie.
"What we try to do at the Pops is have a lineup of soloists who reflect the diversity of our audience," said Lockhart.
Amanda Gorman, 21, a senior at Harvard, is the country's first ever youth poet laureate, named in 2017. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race and marginalization. In her role she's met with Michelle Obama at the White House and founded the organization One Pen One Page, which promotes literacy through a free creative writing program for underserved youth.
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"[Gorman] is truly an extraordinary creative force, who has really brilliant and thought-provoking things to say about this country that we love," said Lockhart.
She will narrate her own poem; "Believers Hymn of the Republic," accompanied by the Boston Pops playing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
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The Poet Laureate said she and Lockhart emailed about the idea of including her in the event.
"We really agreed that we wanted a musical and poetic composition that felt anthemic, which also spoke to these higher ideals of America, belonging, of diversity as he mentioned, of equality. So I'm very excited to bring that on the stage," said Gorman.
If you're out there and you see her, you may just be seeing a future president, too. According to her website she plans to run for president in 2036.
This is in addition to headlining musical artist Queen Latifa, the American singer, actress, rapper, producer "and extraordinary ball of energy on the stage," who is back for her second July 4 in Boston. This is also the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and singer-songwriter folk artist Arlo Guthrie will be the other headlining act.
Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).
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