Amanda Gorman is “exceptional”—but she shouldn’t be. While it may give us hope to elevate one impressive woman to take the stage and applaud ourselves in the name of progress, let’s get to the business of examining our own biases and systems that make us surprised that a young Black woman would excel.
Author: Dr. Judith Diers
Dr. Judith Diers is a program officer at the Ford Foundation. She leads the foundation's work focused on adolescent development and young people with a critical gender lens. She co-chairs the Funders for Adolescent Science Translation (FAST). Her work supports empowering the most excluded young people globally and brings a critique of the power structures that keep girls from being seen, valued, and fully engaged in their communities. Prior to Ford, Judy served as the global Chief, Adolescent Development and Participation at UNICEF.