The Women’s March in New York City

From the moment my mom and I arrived in the city, around 10:30 a.m. the two of us were astounded by the dynamic scene that surrounded us. As we drove towards the march site, we passed a wide array of marchers, easily distinguished by their brightly decorated signs and signature pink “pussy” hats. There were groups of older women, linking arms and walking in clumps down the sidewalk. There were families, pairs of parents and children of all ages, proudly adorning Pro-Hillary buttons on their winter coats. There were young people, slipping out of the main doors of Grand Central Station in large groups, celebrating their ability to advocate for their country in the form of eager smiles and positive chants.

The Women’s March in New York City was fraught with the best kind of problems. It was overcrowded, disorganized, and for these reasons, intensely inspiring and up-lifting. The expected size of the crowd, determined by the number of people that registered online beforehand, was far exceeded. The registered members of the march were assigned staggered start times in an attempt to control crowds and limit heavy foot traffic. I arrived at the start of the march around 11:30am after meeting up with a few friends, early for our assigned 12:30pm start time. We showed up to discover that the crowds were larger than anyone had anticipated, entirely filling the march path from start to finish with little to no forward movement. My group quickly shimmied between two slightly-ajar metal barricades in order to avoid as much waiting time as possible, and joined the exuberant masses. In the crowd, positivity radiated outward in the form of cheerful affirmations, spirited taunts against Trump, and creative posters with progressive and feminism-driven slogans. Some were brash and silly, including “Viva La Vulva” and “Queef on Him”. Others were more weighty, such as Hillary Clinton’s famous quote from the campaign trail: “Women’s rights are human rights”, and a quote from Malala, which read: “If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?”. There was a man in our section with a small drum, thumping out a variety of beats to structure the chanting and keep up morale. The event volunteers, who lined the path, shouted out positive words to the marchers, thanking them for coming out and congratulating them on their activism. Surrounded by such high spirits and forward-thinking sentiment, the minimal movement down the street only seemed to add to the success and sense of community at the event. The lack of personal space and congested environment was a physical representation of the power and impact of the majority. The logistical issues of the march acted as a thrilling reminder that more people are against Trump than one can easily conceptualize or anticipate. This is great news for progressive and left leaning Americans.

In light of the election and inauguration, it has been easy to forget that, as a liberal person, you are not alone. Today, the nation showed up in the defense of people of color, reproductive rights, social justice, the LGBTQA+ community, illegal immigrants, and refugees to name a few. The American people care about the state of their nation. They care enough to flood the streets of major cities all over the country. They care enough to travel on planes, trains, buses, and cars. They care enough to bring their children. They care enough to brave the cold. Despite what the Trump administration may want us to think about the nation’s needs and desires, there was no question today that there is a disconnect between what the majority of the American people want, and what Trump promises to give. Truth is slowly making its way to the surface of public knowledge, and the people are bravely and openly helping it do so. My mom put it best as we were driving home: “When I’m sitting at home watching the news, its hard to not feel sad and alone. In the crowd, I felt understood, supported, and part of the majority”.

We must remember that we, the downtrodden and temporarily disheartened Hillary supporters, are the majority. We are the popular vote. We are not alone. We will not remain divided if we choose to be united, and we will not remain powerless if we use our voices and act together. We may not agree with our president, but he will soon realize how much he needs us. Let’s raise hell over time, demand change with both persistence and patience, and advocate for each other as we would advocate for ourselves. This country is still ours.