My alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning. I opened my eyes, groggy and half-asleep. Then I remembered. I was going to make history today.
I put on my shoes and packed my bag. I made sure that I had water and snacks. Before I left I looked in the mirror and thought, “This is it- the day you have been waiting for.”
I then went on the bus that was going to drive from Orlando to the march in Tallahassee. I snuggled into my blanket and slept for hours. I woke up when we were an hour away. I rested my head against the bus window and watched the cars go by. I thought about the millions of other women just like me who woke up that morning ready to make their voices heard. I thought about my mom, a single parent and the most incredible woman in the world. She faces the world with bravery and kindness and always carries a special kind of quiet, unspoken strength. I thought about my little cousins and my aunts and my grandmothers. And in my head I silently said, “This is for you.”
My group arrived in Tallahassee a little groggy, but ready for the day. We waited for about two hours until the march started. We looked around at all the signs and at all the people who were arriving, ready to march. There were people from all walks on life. Women, men, kids, and even dogs came out for the march. The energy was friendly and positive with everyone smiling and greeting each other like old friends.
One of the leaders got on a megaphone and we practiced our chants for the march. The clouds turned dark and it rained for a few minutes. After the rain cleared we were given the signal. Start marching.
We marched through the FAMU campus and through the streets of Tallahassee. We chanted and held up our signs and made ourselves known. It was such a great feeling to march. It was a release and a form of healing. All of these people who felt frustrated, letdown, and discriminated against by our new administration came together and in an act of peaceful protest made their opinions known.
After the march we went into the FAMU gymnasium and heard some amazing, inspiring speakers who urged all of us to continue to be activists and to fight for our beliefs.
I marched because women’s rights are human rights. I marched because I don’t want my healthcare to be taken away or Planned Parenthood to be defunded. I marched because feminism is vital to our society. I marched because I will not allow the normalization of a president who talks freely and openly about sexually assaulting women and spews misogynistic and hateful language. I marched because I am an ally to the LGBTQ community and the Black Lives Matter movement. I marched because I refuse to let the progress that the activists before me created go to waste.
So many other young women in high school and college were at the march. This generation gives me such hope and optimism for the future. Young people have been the key to many major political movements in this country. They protested Vietnam and advocated for civil rights. They started feminist movements and spoke out for political change. When I was marching, I felt like I was following in their footsteps. In my own small way, I made history.
*All photographs taken by the author