A handful of our writers left snowy Erie to the oddly warm city of Pittsburgh to take part in the historic Women’s March. Writers from Erie, Pittsburgh, Texas, California and even Panama made the trip because we knew this event would be incredible – but what met us was even more than we had expected:
Alyson Munson:
The Women’s March took place on January 21st, 2017 and was the largest protest in U.S history. Over half a million people attended worldwide, and I had the privilege of being a part of that march in Pittsburgh, PA.
I arrived in Pittsburgh early saturday morning and took a bus and “the T” (the Pittsburgh subway system), both of which were packed with other people attending the march downtown. I was amazed at what I saw when I arrived at the beginning of the march. You couldn’t even see the end of the crowd, there were thousands of women there all marching for their beliefs. The point of the march was to make sure our government remembered that “women’s rights are human rights” and to let them know we stand by all types of marginalized people (as stated by the app put out for those participating). Men, women, and children of all different ages, religions, sexualities, and backgrounds all showed up to participate, and it turned this march into something very wonderful.
Before last saturday I had never participated in any form of march, rally, or protest, but afterwards I became very inspired to become more actively involved in fighting for the things I believe in and taking a stand. The women’s march on January 21st made history, but it won’t be the last, we must keep fighting for what we believe in if we ever intend to make a change.
Andrea Gaez:
“Yesterday, men in red hats thought that they took America back. But today 1 million women in pink hats will take America forward.”
I didn’t know what to expect from the march… but all I know is that I have never felt so supported. So, in the early morning hours of that Saturday, as me and my friends made our way slowly around the house and started to get ready, I had no idea what I was about to experience. We got there a little late -My fault, sorry guys-, but once we were there the energy was something else. It wasn’t just that you could feel the energy around you like a
Kayla McEwen:
I am a feminist. I have always been a feminist. And with that, I believe anyone who is not a feminist does not believe in equal rights for ALL people becuase by definition feminism is, ” the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. With that, a feminist is, “a person who supports feminism”, so then if you do not support this eqaulity, what exactly are you?
Sexist, as by definition, “discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex or gender, as inrestricted job opportunities, especially such discrimination directedagainst women”. Hearing people say, “why did you even go to this march, Trump is already president”, was absolutely irritating. The point of this march was to raise awareness for women’s rights – American and international. I also am sick and tired of people telling me that this march was unnecessary and that we have more rights than other nations after finding out I attended. Yes, that is true and I will always be grateful for that fact. BUT, that does not mean that we as American women are treated equally to American men still. Also, this march was not just to raise awareness for American women, but ALL women around the world. Check your facts and realize what we were marcing for – men, women and children of ALL races. This march was created for us to move forward together.
The Women’s March was so incredibly inspiring and should be seen for how amazing it truly was.
Photo Credit: Alyson Munson