“Women’s rights are human rights,” the crowd chants.
Human rights – that’s what we were all there for. It is approximated that 470,000 American citizens stood side-by-side protesting the racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic and xenophobic President Donald J. Trump on January 21, 2017 in Washington D.C. as part of the Women’s March. They chanted, “our body, our choice,” “we’re not going away,” and “yes, we can” as they raised signs of protest as high as they could.
The Women’s March started on Independence Avenue and stretched all the way to the Washington Monument. The purpose of this march was to “send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women’s rights are human rights,” the movements website stated. Speakers like Scarlet Johansson, Madonna, Alicia Keys and Ilyasah Shabazz, along with many others, gave speeches of empowerment and hope. I was able to speak to a few individuals who attended this march and this is what they had to say.
“We have to fight and stand together otherwise we are going to go back in time,” Julia Dawson, a central Pennsylvania resident, stated when confronted with the question of why she was marching. “We have to have more compassion.” This march was a way to send a message to President Trump and his administration about how we, citizens of America, will not stand for discrimination and prejudice.
Kyra Duncan, 19, also took the time to speak with me and voice her opinion. “I am here today because women are very important to me and I wanted to express my discomfort with the laws he is trying to put in place and the rights he is trying to get rid of,” Duncan said. “I am a woman and I know many women who are strong and beautiful but are treated differently than men and it infuriates me that this is such an issue.” Duncan traveled from Buckhannon, West Virginia to attend the Women’s March and was overjoyed by the amount of people that had gathered. “Today women are assuming the more traditional masculine roles and having more science related jobs and less are being stay-at-home moms,” Duncan said. “It’s not becoming less of an expectation for them to assume these roles.”
Perhaps the most interesting people that I conversed with were a group of twelve-year-old girls from Washington D.C. Camille Anderson, 12, was one of the girls that really spoke up about how she viewed this march. “He needs to know that we will not stand for this,” Anderson said. “During times of need we have to stick together.” It was quite reassuring to gain insight from this young girl who felt so strongly about human rights. “Women are strong and are not items; they are people,” Anderson concluded before regrouping with her friends.
It was an honor attending this march and seeing so many different people all gathered for the same reason. Seeing so many people peacefully protesting for these rights can bring joy to your heart. It’s quite reassuring knowing that in times of need we are all able to stand together and fight for what we believe is right. There’s still so much more that you can do to help fight for human rights. Donate and volunteer at charities, call your representatives, stay informed. Do what you can to continue to fight for these rights. Let President Trump know that we are strong, and we are not going away.