In an interview, Amanda Gorman referenced a speech by Abraham Lincoln, delivered three years into the United States Civil War. She said, “Abraham Lincoln where he basically says, ‘By freedom, we do not all mean the same thing. By feminism, we do not all mean the same thing. By intersectionality, we do not all mean the same thing’.” In other words, a person's unique perspective can change the meaning of something.
In this activity, you will read an excerpt from President Lincoln’s speech to which Ms. Gorman refers. What is most significant in his speech? Which words would convey what you understand this text to say? Thinking about the answers to these questions and how perspective can change a person’s point of view, find the most important words in the excerpt to create a blackout poem that expresses your thoughts.