LA poet Amanda Gorman says she was racially profiled by guard: 'This is the reality of Black girls'

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Saturday, March 6, 2021
LA poet Amanda Gorman says she was profiled by guard
L.A. poet Amanda Gorman, who made history at President Joe Biden's inauguration in January, says she was racially profiled by a security guard outside her own apartment.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles poet Amanda Gorman, who made history at President Joe Biden's inauguration in January, says she was racially profiled by a security guard outside her own apartment.

The 22-year-old shared her experience on Twitter Friday evening.

"A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight. He demanded if I lived there because 'you look suspicious.' I showed my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you're called an icon, the next day, a threat," she wrote.

LA poet Amanda Gorman, 22, recites 'The Hill We Climb' at inauguration ceremony

A Los Angeles woman became the youngest inaugural poet when she performed an original poem at President Joe Biden's swearing-in ceremony.

Shortly after that tweet, Gorman reflected on her encounter with the guard.

"In a sense, he was right. I AM A THREAT: a threat to injustice, to inequality, to ignorance," she wrote in a separate tweet. "Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be."

Gorman made history as the youngest inaugural poet when she took the stage Jan. 20 to recite her original poem, "The Hill We Climb." In the poem, she speaks openly about racial injustice in the country.

MORE: Amanda Gorman, in a first, brings poetry to Super Bowl

ABC News contributed to this report.