The poem "The Hill We Cimb," written by Amanda Gorman and read at President Joe Biden鈥檚 inauguration in 2021, was challenged in March by a parent at a South Florida school, resulting in the school library reshelving the poem to a section for middle school students.
The move sparked outrage on social media, including from Gorman, and arguments over what constitutes a book ban.
"Miami-Dade County has banned the poem read by Amanda Gorman during President Biden鈥檚 inauguration from elementary schools following the objection of a single parent," read text under the headline "Florida facism" on a .
The Instagram post was flagged as part of Meta鈥檚 efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
The post is incorrect on two points.
First, Miami-Dade County made no decision about Gorman鈥檚 poem in elementary schools. A single kindergarten-through-eighth grade school in Miami-Dade County鈥檚 Miami Lakes, the Bob Graham Education Center, made the move. It wasn鈥檛 a districtwide decision, affecting all enrolled there in 2022-23.
Second, the book was not banned, the district said in a May 23 . Gorman鈥檚 poem "was never banned or removed from one of our schools. The book is available in the media center as part of the middle grades collection."
In order to ensure accurate information, is compelled to clarify that the book titled, 鈥淭he Hill We Climb鈥� by was never banned or removed from one of our schools. The book is available in the media center as part of the middle grades collection.
— Miami-Dade Schools (@MDCPS)
In March, Daily Salinas, a parent of two students at the school, challenged Gorman鈥檚 poem, along with three other books she said had references to critical race theory, hate messages and indoctrination, the Miami Herald . A review committee responded by reshelving Gorman鈥檚 poem in the library鈥檚 middle-school section.
Miami-Dade met in April to review 5 books: THE ABCs OF BLACK HISTORY, CUBAN KIDS, COUNTRIES IN THE NEWS: CUBA, THE HILL WE CLIMB, and LOVE TO LANGSTON
— Florida Freedom to Read Project (@FLFreedomRead)
All books were challenged for CRT or 鈥済ender theory鈥� by the same person in March 2023.
According to NBC 6 / WTVJ, a PolitiFact in South Florida, the school sent a about the move and resulting media coverage. It said although the poem was moved, "it remains accessible to all students."
The Washington Post May 24 that a younger student would have to request the poem from a media specialist at the school library and prove that they read at the fifth-grade level.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools did not return a request for comment for this story, nor did Yecenia Martinez, Bob Graham Education Center鈥檚 principal.
Gorman that the move still creates "these hurdles for a young reader just to access a poem in history written for them."
The urges America to reckon with its past, put its differences aside and "leave behind a country better than the one we were left." By working together, the poem suggests, Americans can "forge our union with purpose."
Our ruling
An Instagram post claimed that Miami-Dade County banned Gorman鈥檚 poem from elementary schools.
There was no countywide effort to remove this poem. A single school, after a parent complained, decided to move the poem to its library鈥檚 middle-school section. Some younger students can still access the poem if they can show they read at a fifth grade level; access for others is restricted.
The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.
Our Sources
- Instagram , May 26, 2023
- Amanda Gorman, Instagram , May 23, 2023
- Amanda Gorman, , May 23, 2023
- Amanda Gorman, , May 23, 2023
- Amanda Gorman, , May 27, 2023
- Miami-Dade Schools , May 23, 2023
- The Miami Herald, "," May 24, 2023
- Florida Freedom to Read Project, "," May 19, 2023
- Florida Freedom to Read Project, , May 26, 202
- NBC 6 / WTVJ, "," May 24, 2023
- The Washington Post, "," May 24, 2023
- The New York Times, "," May 24, 2023
- Renaissance Accelerated Reader Bookfinder, "," accessed May 30, 2023
- Florida Department of Education , accessed May 30, 2023
- Florida Department of Education , accessed May 30, 2023
