It began with a blurry but happy photo of myself and my sister, (who came all the way from Texas) on the bus at 6am, excited to begin.
After arriving, we all walked to the metro which would get us to the march and the speakers. On the way we passed this amazing woman who joyfully reminded us of the strength and ability that so many women of this world possess.
Here I am with my wonderful daughters and my one daughter's good friend. All three of these young women are shining examples of strong, intelligent, creative, kind, responsible, and passionate people. It was such an honor to be with them and share this experience. At this point we had been standing and listening to the speakers for several hours. There were so many people... old and young, women, men, children... that we actually were unable to march for some time. It took a good 90 minutes, (maybe more?) for there to be enough movement at the opposite end of the march, to trickle down and allow us to unpack ourselves like sardines and begin marching, too. Despite this, the crowd remained kind, peaceful and supportive towards one another. I was in awe.
We now are marching up Independence Ave. These are the folks behind me.
Loved the artistry and message in this political poster.
I wanted to capture the protest with the flag in the background. It's a simple visual reminder that this America belongs to all of us, (as this poster also emphasizes, Wahine being the Polynesian word for women. I had to look that up, but now I know). It is the government's responsibility to listen to, represent and care for all of its people, not just a select few.
I'm not sure where we go from here except that we must keep going. We must stay active in having our voices heard. For some it may mean becoming active in their local and state politics. For others, such as myself, it will be to continually call their representatives, on a daily basis if need-be, and certainly a more then once a week basis, to insure our voices and concerns are heard. The number of people that came out to march yesterday, in DC, around the United States and across every continent brought me to tears. To see such goodness and compassion for our sister and fellow beings gives me great hope in an otherwise very scary time.
11 comments:
There was even a solidarity march right here in Montreal Canada. So wonderful that you were able to attend.
What a fabulous experience! There were a couple of ladies in the newspaper here last week and they were knitting the hats with the ears. The women in this country and around the world are amazing!
Yes! Thanks for marching for all of us :)
I feel the thrill and hope again as I read your post. Yes! We must keep making our voices heard.
amazed at all the marches that went on all over the world women power certainly made a point and seen by so many millions too
Yes.... this is our America and we must acknowledge our responsibility to and for her.
Thank you for sharing your experience and hopeful message!
I am filled with hope watching all the marches. My son and his wife went to marches in Austin Tx. I am so proud of him.
WOOT! So glad you got to attend with your dds and special friends!
I live over 300 miles away, but marched in San Francisco with my husband and our grown daughter who lives in the UK but who was in SF working the week before. It was a magical experience!
The crowd in SF was beautifully diverse, as were the speakers and performers. Joan Baez was the last of them, and she started us off on the march. By then it was dark - 5:30 or 6:00 pm - and City Hall was lit up in pink. It has a dome which kind of looked like a gigantic pink pussy hat. ;)
I would guesstimate that 30% of the crowd was made up of men - gay men but also lots of hetero couples with kids of all ages, older men with their wives. I met a 50something guy who was there with his grown son, while their mom/wife was marching in DC and their sister/daughter was marching in Boston.
The crowd was diverse and the signs were too! We were marching for not just women's rights (reproductive, pay equity, etc.) but also for all marginalized groups - and for science! It rained for most of the 2 hr. rally and for the entire march. I was afraid the huge crowd was thin, but it didn't! I came home feeling energized and very happy to have attended and to have shared the experience with dd and dh. Otherwise I would have been in LA with girlfriends, which would have been awesome as well.
NONE of these marches will mean anything, though, if they don't spur us to keep acting, to find ways to organized and work to affect real change!
Thanks for sharing! And thanks for being part of the huge crowd. WE showed the world that we are paying attention, and that we care!~
Thank you, Victoria, for marching for those of us who couldn't. Your post has given me renewed hope. I have been frightened and anxious for quite a while now, and it helps so much to read words such as yours to spur me to action. I have begun calling my legislators, I have started donating to organizations that represent marginalized groups of Americans, and I will continue to have faith in what we can accomplish when we join together. Thank you for reminding all of us how strong we are by sharing your experience. You are, as always, making a difference, especially in my life.
Diane
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