HBCU President Offers Amanda Gorman Job as Poet-in-Residence After Inauguration Reading

HBCU President Offers Amanda Gorman Job as Poet-in-Residence After Inauguration Reading

The president of Morgan State University extended an employment offer to Amanda Gorman shortly after the inaugural poet's celebrated performance on Wednesday.In a message shared to Twitter, David Wilson joined millions of social media users who praised Gorman's inspiring reading during President Joe Biden's inauguration. The college president also offered the national youth poet laureate and recent Harvard graduate a staff position as Morgan State's poet-in-residence. Whether Gorman has responded to the offer yet was not immediately clear."Ms. Gorman, I need you as our Poet-in-Residence at the National Treasure, @MorganStateU," Wilson tweeted, tagging Gorman's account. Referencing her poetry reading, which was a focal point of Wednesday's televised event outside of the U.S. Capitol, the university president added, "Outstanding!!!!! Consider this a job offer!"Morgan State, located in Baltimore, belongs to a network of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Two of its students were named Baltimore's youth poet laureate in 2016 and 2017. Gorman's writing earned her the national honor in 2017, when she became the country's first youth poet laureate. Three young women poets have succeeded her in the role.

At 22, Gorman is the country's youngest inaugural poet, meaning she was formally asked to produce and recite original work at