On January 20th, 2017, a bus from the Hartman House at DePauw loaded up and set off on a thirteen hour ride to Washington D.C. to participate in the Woman’s March. I was lucky enough to have gotten a seat on the bus just the day before. We arrived in Washington on the 21st around 8:00 AM with a few hours to spare before the rally began. However, even at this early hour there were thousands of people pouring in from hundreds of busses, already crowding the streets.
We eventually made it to the main stage a little more than an hour before the speakers were to come out. During this time, more marchers were flooding in. There were groups chanting and older women were knitting and handing out the pink “pussy hats” that from above made the crowd look like a sea of pink.
The speakers themselves were amazing, and while we could hear them fine, the crowd was so dense it was difficult to see them. Many disbanded to try to find a restroom or grab some food before the march, but the lines were all too long and the crowd was too difficult to navigate. I settled in with some of my friends by a tree that had a bra hanging from it. Minutes later a circle had formed around this tree and at least 30 other women, particularly older women were carefully taking off their bras and flinging them into the tree. It was liberating.
Eventually the time we were scheduled to march came around, and we were all ready to go. However, minutes rolled by, then a half an hour, then an hour passed and no movement had been made. Many people were searching on their phones to see if there was any news as to why we were not marching. Some saw an article that said the crowd was too big to march. Word traveled fast and soon groups started marching on different streets other than the assigned route.
I personally began marching on Pennsylvania, the same route that Trump had taken the day before during the inauguration. This made it all the more exciting because the stands were still up and many who were tired took advantage of them and cheered those marching on.
The unity of the group was amazing. We chanted at least twenty different chants, we cheered and we marched. As we passed intersecting streets, all we could see was hundreds of other protesters flooding onto Pennsylvania, often forcing us to stop our marching to allow them in. The end goal was the White House which sadly we never made it to because the police blocked the main streets.
We marched for about an hour, passing many famous landmarks that I had never seen before and really didn’t recognize at first. We passed the treasury department at one point, and they had a banner hanging from it portraying the new face of the 20-dollar bill: Harriet Tubman.
We unfortunately got so far away, that we had to head back early to meet the bus. The walk back took a little more than an hour. Most of the time we had no clue where we were and by the time we got back, our legs were practically numb.
Overall, the experience was life changing. I had never been to Washington DC before, and the fact that I was part of a revolutionary moment my first time there made it all the more amazing. The march helped open my eyes and rekindle my sense of empowerment. I am taking concrete steps now by calling senators and participating in more protests around Indiana. We can make a difference, and we will persevere.