Estée Lauder Global Changemaker Amanda Gorman Raises Awareness of Literacy and WRITING CHANGE at the Opening of Perelman Performing Arts Center

Last week, Estée Lauder Global Changemaker and Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman became the first-ever performer on the stage of the PAC NYC, New York City’s new, state-of-the-art cultural hub designed to be a home for emerging and established artists. Amanda’s attendance and performance was in celebration of The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) WRITING CHANGE, ELC’s initiative co-founded by Amanda and ELC to advance literacy as a pathway to equality.

The opening of the PAC NYC in Lower Manhattan marks the completion of the new World Trade Center campus. Bringing art to the city, PAC NYC encourages dialogue and performances around compassion, innovation, kindness, inclusion, and creativity. A “come as you are space,” PAC NYC welcomes local communities and artists to produce, present, and partner.

On stage, Amanda read her poem “The Miracle of Morning” and promoted the themes of resilience, community, and connection. “Let every dawn find us courageous, brought closer,” she recited, “Heeding the light before the fight is over.”

The PAC NYC’s opening event featured a number of celebrities, including Cynthia Erivo, Tiler Peck, Tariq Trotter, Angélique Kidjo, and James Taylor, all of whom thanked and celebrated their fellow artists and future generations of creativity.

The venue aims to elevate voices and serve as a home for discourse and connection, a mission shared by Amanda and WRITING CHANGE, which advocates for diverse storytelling and artistic expression through the power of words.

Learn more about WRITING CHANGE, ELC’s partnership with Amanda Gorman.