I traveled over 750 miles last Friday to take part in the Women’s March On Washington. And I was not alone. With marches taking place across the globe, from the flagship march in the nation’s capital all the way to a handful of climate scientists in Antarctica, the people have spoken.
I March For My Daughter
One of the women I spoke with was Eileen, a nurse who traveled to D.C. from Raleigh, North Carolina. When I asked her what brought her to D.C., she told me:
“My daughter will be ten years old in April. When Trump won the election, I couldn’t think of what I would tell her in the morning. How could I tell her that hate won? I had to come here today to show her that we are all stronger together.”
I March For My Son
I spoke with Bree, who had traveled all the way from northern California to take part. Bree’s 13-year-old son is transgender, and she is terrified:
“For the past three months, I have been considering just packing up my family and leaving the country. But where do we go? We can’t just run away from this. If it starts to get bad enough, I’ll think about leaving again — my son comes first. But for now, I have to stay and fight. We can’t just give this country to the bigots.”
I March For My Mother
Victoria, a 64-year-old woman from upstate New York, shared this story with me:
“I am the oldest of 11 children. I helped my mother take care of my brothers and sisters from an early age. I was born in 1952, when my mother was just 18 years old. In 1974, she got pregnant with her 12th child. She was 40 years old by that point and could not imagine raising another child. I didn’t find out that she had an abortion until years later, but I know she was relieved. Once I found out, so was I. There was a change in my mother that year — she was happier. We can’t go back.”
I March For All People, Everywhere
Gillian, a 48-year-old woman from Virginia, had this to say:
“Trump is unlike any so-called leader this country has ever seen. I came here because this isn’t about politics. Until this election, I called myself a Republican. I didn’t like Obama. I didn’t like Hillary. But I don’t understand how anyone can support this man. It’s insane. I’m here because I believe in this country, and I believe that the people need to take it back.”
We’ve Only Just Begun
One of the most important things to take away from Saturday’s Marches is that it’s only the beginning. We must continue the fight against this corrupt administration at every turn.
The official Women’s March on Washington page has an action plan. Go there and see how you can get involved. Join your local party. Attend meetings. Run for office. Remember that it’s “We, the people.”
Featured image is from the author’s personal files.
