By Elizabeth Hoo, Staff Writer
I attended the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 . In anticipation of Trump’s actions in office, and particularly those that may affect women, many individuals marched to ensure that our nation would not be pushed back decades in federal policy. There were an estimated half-million marchers in D.C. and about two million marchers accounted for in all the different marches around the world.
Despite being called the Women’s March, this movement was about hope and civil rights for all. It was about standing in solitude with your fellow citizen who is equally concerned what will take place in America over the next four years. It was about standing with refugees, LGBTQIA, minorities, and, yes, women. It was about standing up for the environment.
I do not believe that the march was aimed directly against Trump, even though it was the day after his inauguration. Instead, there was a greater sense that we were walking for a better future for our children. Looking out at all the people who marched, I saw a movement built out of hope, a hope which starts out like a spark and ends up being a fire.
We have learned from the past, and are ready to build a new future. We dream of a future in which racial discrimination does not exist, where women can get a safe abortion, where refugees can find safe havens in America and where people are liberated and equal. Even though some of our leaders’ actions might set us back, that does not mean our nation will not still be moving forward. Civil rights are not just accepted, but demanded, and the voices of those who have been oppressed for generations will finally be able to speak out. I believe that the march made the statement that, as Americans, we are not satisfied with the direction our nation has taken, and we want to keep our leaders accountable for their actions.
