January 21, 2017, was a historic day. Three million people worldwide marched in solidarity with women and their rights, in solidarity with gender equality. The Women’s March was beautiful because people from all walks of life banded together and fought for what’s right. It is a beautiful thing that we, ordinary citizens, feel empowered to make a difference, to make change, to speak up and shout out and let our voices be heard, let them resonate in the ears of the people who surround us, the ones who choose to quietly fade into the backdrop.
Even now, with the knowledge that our nation’s most powerful position is occupied by a man who is filled with the kind of dangerous hatred that destroys nations, I am smiling, and the tears that fill my eyes are happy ones because I know that no matter what, he cannot take away what we prize most: our volume. He cannot silence us. The signs we carry, the words we chant, our sheer numbers cannot be ignored.
The marchers sent a clear message to President Trump: We are formidable, a force to be reckoned with. We stand with women, their rights, their health, and their safety, and we will tell the world. We will not watch idly while you undo all that we have accomplished. We will not observe quietly while you reverse the rapid forward acceleration that marks our era. We will not tolerate a leader who chooses to oppress rather than to progress. With this election we have taken a leap backwards, but we will not go any further in that direction. The stakes are too high.
So, to the three million women and friends of women with whom I marched, congratulations. You have realized your power as ordinary people to change the world. Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t be afraid to take up space, don’t lower your voice, and don’t let fear edge out conscience and courage. Have faith that good will prevail, but more than that, make good prevail. Argue. Debate. Discuss. Protest. Speak. Scream.
To those who didn’t join the march, I hope you will next time. You may feel insignificant or inconsequential, especially after November’s election and the disparity between the people’s choice and the final result, but you are not.
The Women’s March may be over, but the battle has just begun.