Making History: Women’s March in Milwaukee
On January 20th, Donald J. Trump officially became America’s 45th President. Entering the oval office with the lowest approval rate in recorded history, much of the country was not pleased with the transition of power. The people of America did not take a second to rest. January 21st began with the tirades of women’s marches.
Across the world, people of all origin and culture came together in their cities and marched for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, people of color, immigrants and others that President Trump had deemed irrelevant during his campaign. From the smallest towns in the depths of the south, to across the globe in countries such as Norway, Australia, and Sweden, people marched in solidarity with the mother march occurring in Washington D.C. I attended the march in Milwaukee and decided it was worthwhile to record the experience.
The crowd began to gather around 10 am. People of all shapes and sizes came to support any and all human beings. Everyone spoke and met each other, learning new names and putting those names to unique stories of each individual. Mothers were seen carrying their children on their backs and holding their husband’s hands. Young kids held up signs preaching for equal rights and peace. There was not a feeling in the atmosphere of anything but pure love and joy.
As 10:30 came around the march was set to begin. A woman over the speaker announced a few guidelines before we started. The rules went as this:
- We were told not to say the president’s name because this march was not about him, it was about each other.
- We were to refrain from profanity and hateful chants toward any one person, as once again, this was about the boosting of equal rights and love rather than targeting certain individuals.
- We were to use gender neutral pronouns. We were here to support anyone and everyone no matter their identification.
As the rules were set, hundreds from Milwaukee geared up and began the march. We fled the streets with calm positivity. As we passed neighborhoods fellow citizens would come out with phones recording us, and cheer us on, some even joining the group. We marched for about an hour, and convened together and spoke to each other one last time before heading our separate ways.
I have never felt such warmth in the atmosphere in January. Those two hours became such a moment of hope during such a period of confusion for so many. I felt safer within those two hours than I had the past few months. Everyone was there to help one another feel safety.
The marches that occurred on January 21st, 2017 will be documented in history. Our children will look to us and ask us about them, and the many who were there will be able to give first hand accounts as to what it was like to fight back.
The war is far from over. We must continue this vigor for the next few years. If our passions die, we go down with them. Find out what you can do, as we need everyone in this uphill battle.