Some of our amazing team members joined millions of men and women across the nation and across the world to march in solidarity. Here are some of their experiences.
The weather did not stop me from feeling empowered as I marched from the Civic Center to the Ferry Building in San Francisco with 100,000 other supporters of civil rights and social justice. The rain could not dampen our high spirits and support for one another. With posters in hands, compassion in hearts, and some with tears in their eyes, people of all genders, ages, nationalities, and sexualities united and promoted values that all Americans should share. This opportunity allowed me to once again feel empowered even after the inauguration of a man whose rhetoric promotes the opposite of American ideals. Although the fight for gender equality is far from over, the Women’s March once again gave me the hope that it will one day be possible with the help of the millions of individuals who also demonstrated their optimism through the marches around the world. This is just the beginning of a movement that will change the world and will not be stopped by just one man whose rhetoric is one of hate. I am grateful for this experience and hope others will realize that this is an inclusive agenda that has the potential for greatness if we continue to promote ideals of equality, justice, and human rights.
- Mara, Class of 2020
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Men and women from all walks of life came together to stand in solidarity to show that minorities will not stay silent while the executive cabinet tries to take our rights away and to show that we can and will break through glass ceilings. The most inspiring part was the men and women from the Japanese Internment who joined the march and refused to stay silent about the threat that another president might attempt to lock minorities away. The Japanese Internment is a blunder in American history that many people either forget or never learn about. To see those brave men and women stand up and fight back against a new president pledging to repeat the past was truly inspiring and the embodiment of what the Women’s March was meant to be. As tens of thousands of people walked through the streets of San Francisco chanting, our voices became one. Walking next to so many strong and independent men and women, I felt empowered and filled with hope that one day, we will be able to live in a society that promotes equality for all types of life.
- Tara, Class of 2019
I wasn’t planning on attending the march. I had seen the march mentioned on Facebook, but it seemed like something I would never do. However, tempted with the promise of glitter, colored sharpies and pussy hats, I changed my mind when I got an offer to join a poster-making party for the march. When strangers leaned over to thank us for marching and making history because the future is in our hands, I felt my first swell of pride for being present and a part of this resistance. The march itself was peaceful and slow-moving. There were people of all colors, genders, sizes, religions, and ages. Every so often the crowd did a call-and-response chant. Some of my favorites were: “Her body, her choice / my body my choice” and “Tell me what a feminist looks like / this is what a feminist looks like.” There were also chants of “Love trumps hate,” “Yes we can,” and “Hear us roar.” The signs were beautiful and powerful: everything from epic hand-drawn statements to photos of MLK and Princess Leia. They demonstrated a greater message for the why we march:
For LGBT rights and supporting my sisters, not just my cis-ters
For the funding of Planned Parenthood
For people of color, because Black Lives Matter
For climate change, because science is real
For education, because Betsy DeVos is now in charge
For those who are disabled, because mocking someone’s physical appearance is unacceptable (I’m looking at you, Mr. President)
I thought I was marching for women’s rights, to prove to President Trump that I am not up for grabs, but I realized I was there for so much more.
- Erin, Class of 2019
My decision to participate in the San Jose Women’s March on Saturday was completely spur of the moment. Three friends and I decided after seeing President Trump’s inauguration on Friday that we needed to walk for our rights and for the rights of those who feel silenced by the 45th president and the rest of the government. Getting to walk alongside women, children, and even men was incredibly moving. However, the full impact of what we were doing didn’t hit me until we arrived at the final spot and the MC announced that so many people had shown up to the march that, after forty minutes of walking, the back of the line still had not left city hall (the starting point). So many people came out to stand up for basic human rights that even after I was finished walking, people waited to continue what the leaders had begun. One of the best parts of my day on Saturday was standing in solidarity with women not only in San Jose, but all across the United States and even the rest of the world. I received snapchats of friends in London, New York, Utah, Geneva, and Washington D.C. marching. These are smart, beautiful, and capable women who stood up so that the government can hear just how powerful women are and the trouble that comes from our underestimation.
- Riley-Ann, Class of 2018
We are nasty women and we are damn proud of it!