On January 21, 2017, thousands of women and men packed the streets of Washington DC, in lieu of the Women’s March.
The “Women’s March of Washington” was planned right after it became clear that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States, on November 9, 2016. It was started off as a Facebook event titled the “Million Women March” by retired attorney Teresa Shook, and within hours thousands of women from around the world had expressed their interest in the idea.
The event was then renamed the “Women’s March of Washington”, meant to represent the civil rights march lead by Martin Luther King Jr in March 1963 following the legendary “I Have A Dream” speech. Once it became clear that the WMW was going to take place once Donald Trump took office, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory and Carmen Perez were appointed as national co-chairs.
Celebrities also showed their support, with Emma Watson, Katy Perry, Julia Roberts, Amy Poehler, Lena Dunham, Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, Charlize Theron, America Ferrera and James Franco among others showing up to the march decked in pink and ready to march.
Kelley Robinson, assistant director of Planned Parenthood Federation of America expressed pride in being one of the partners of the WMW, and said, “We are stronger than your attempts to divide us.” Others endorsing the event are Amnesty International and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Also signing up as co sponsors were GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), who stated, “With the election behind him, President-elect Trump must now rise above divisive politics and side with the vast majority of Americans who demand equality for their LGBTQ friends, family, and neighbors.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg, as since then over 40 different organizations have joined WMW as sponsors or co sponsors.
This is not the only support the March got, as their Crowd Rise page raised over $1 million by the beginning of January 2017. Possibly the most wonderful of all, was how the platform the WMW managed to create was not only used to advocate women’s rights, but was used to cover all issues plaguing the population. The platform fights for the LGBTQ community, it fights for immigration and parenthood rights. It fights for environmental protection, and for workplace discrimination and equal pay. It also fights for police accountability and rejects mass deportation.
Above all, the “Women’s March of Washington” opposes the presidency of Donald Trump.
Then again, don’t we all?