The Women's March

Image / Eva Grant

On Saturday I joined over 100,000 people in my state’s capital, and over 1 million individuals worldwide, in a march dedicated to making our voices heard. Men, women, non-binary, transgender, children, families, able bodied and non-able bodied, Muslims, Christians, white, black, brown and native people walked together to stand up for one another's rights, safety, and health. 

I realize some view this march as anti-Trump, but for me and most others it was more than that. This march was about defending the marginalized among us and vocalizing our disagreement with rhetoric and actions that threaten said marginalized identities. This was not about targeting a single person, it was about addressing and calling attention to practices and policies that subjugate others and/or harm them.

One of the principles of the Women’s March sums up the movement's object of attention better than I can:

“Attack forces of evil, not persons doing evil. The nonviolent approach helps one analyze the fundamental conditions, policies, and practices of the conflict rather than reaction to one’s opponents or their personalities.”

I am guilty of targeting a “person of evil,” rather than the forces of it. As you may remember, I was deeply wounded by the results of election night. The slow climb of Trump’s electoral votes sliced at me; I spent the next several weeks limp and wounded.

Leading up to Trump's inauguration I have begun to make conscious attempts to shift my anger away from a single man to policies and rhetoric. The Women’s March only solidified this process for me. It anchored me.

Marching among my friends, family, and strangers to chip away at a slew of political and social obstructions was exhilarating, exhausting, honoring, empowering. Even as I write this, I experience a rush of fear, love, and pride. It is astounding to me how much a collective voice can accomplish*, yet it is upsetting that such a demonstration had to occur to make our voices heard in the first place.

As I write, I feel tears welling in my eyes and I do not know if this choking sensation is spurred by overwhelming gratitude or trepidation or both. So I will end this here with an Obama quote that I carried throughout the demonstration. It speaks to our individual and collective abilities, the need for advocacy, urgency, and the push for movement.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ”

— Barack Obama

If you attended a Women’s March in your area, I would love to hear your experience. Or, if you even disagree with the Women’s March, I am interested to know your perspective. Please let me know in the comments below. 

- G R A C E

P.S. Additionally, I want to call attention to the the woman, Tamika Mallory, who started it all. I want to acknowledge her co-chairs Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, and the many others in the Women’s March committee who helped to organize this powerful event. It is amazing what these women accomplished. I am also grateful towards my friends and family who joined the march and exercised their first amendment rights. Love to you all.

*Here are some interesting stats from Elite Daily, though a traditionally less reputable source than other media outlets, this was still interesting

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