CA's Amanda Gorman Honors Pandemic 'Warriors' Before Super Bowl

Los Angeles CA

07 February, 2021

8:00 PM

Description

CALIFORNIA — Los Angeles native and America's youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman recited her poem "Chorus of the Captains" just before Super Bowl LV on Sunday. In becoming the first poet to grace the Super Bowl, she recited an original poem describing the valiance of three "honorary captains" during the pandemic. The captains — Trimain Davis, a teacher from Los Angeles; Suzie Dorner, a nurse from Tampa and James Martin, a Marine Corps veteran from Pittsburgh — were chosen by the NFL to represent the millions of frontline workers and first responders across the nation working to help their communities during the coronavirus pandemic. "Let us walk with these warriors, charge on with these champions, and carry forth the call of our captains," Gorman spoke. "We celebrate them by acting with courage and compassion, by doing what is right and just. For while we honor them, today it is they who every day honor us." Davis, a fellow Californian, is a retention coordinator for the VIP Scholars program at UCLA who helps get necessary tech into the hands of students in need such as laptops and internet hot spots. "During this incredibly challenging time in our lives, Trimaine, Suzie, and James have exemplified the essence of leadership, each in their own way," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement last month. Gorman blossomed into a poetic dignitary almost overnight after she became America's youngest inaugural poet on Jan. 20. Her poem "The Hill We Climb," which she said was inspired by the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, prompted NFL officials to commission the 22-year-old for another poem. "Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art & our country, because it means we're thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel siloed," Gorman tweeted on Sunday. "I'll honor 3 heroes who exemplify the best of this effort. Here's to them, to poetry, & to a [Super Bowl LV] like no other." A video of Gorman performing "Chorus of the Captains" was broadcast just before the three captains were introduced on the field. Watch Gorman perform on Twitter: What a moment. @TheAmandaGorman #SBLV pic.twitter.com/v8VM9uhPww— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2021 The burgeoning poet enchanted Americans watching not just for the powerful imagery of her words but also for her vibrant outfit at the inauguration. Gorman signed with IMG Models last month, one of the world's biggest modeling giants, according to multiple reports. On Sunday, the instant style icon outdid herself again, donning a luminous coat with a string of pearls in her hair.