At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, the day following the inauguration of President Elect Donald Trump, people will gather for the Women’s March on Washington.
Nothing about this election has been easy with such a close call and such vibrant support for each candidate. The goal of the march is focused on bringing a diverse group together in order to extract their ideas, bringing them into the light to outshine the darkness that has recently shrouded the country. The efforts have been manifested into a cult following, along with 281 other marches being held around the country. By gathering similar ideas from a diverse and inclusive group, it is hoped a change can be made.
The mission and goals of the Women’s March on Washington can be summed up in the words of Audre Lorde,“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.” The election ripped open the heart of the issues plaguing the American people by giving the opportunity for differing groups to lash out at each other with violence and abhorrence. In a time where discrimination and hate still run deep in the roots of society, Lorde’s words ring true. The only way to stop the fighting is to accept the enemy with open arms.
Having always been taught to accept and cherish all people, I find it inspiring that this message is being spread. The amount of support within and outside this movement will truly be a force to be reckoned with. Possessing the right to rally about our ideas and opinions is the epitome of being an American.
While students adorn themselves with sparkles and shine their shoes for Winter Formal on Jan. 21, groups of women will take their first steps into the capital. This historical movement is not the first of its kind, but it so vibrant in this time of change due to the women, people of color and minority groups who have felt threatened. Whether these changes are for the better or the worse, the Women’s March on Washington is bringing light to controversial subjects.
According to womensmarch.com, their mission is to spread equality through non-violence. From innumerable backgrounds, people have been drawn to this political and social act. With a new president and a new year, these women refuse to sit back. Whether this March will cause a revolution or have no effect at all, citizens have been empowered by women with ideas who have gained strength in numbers.
The March will start on the intersection of Independence Avenue and and Third Street SW near the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. There will also be a March in Chicago, Ill, at 10 a.m. at the Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park on the same day.
