The mission of the historic Women’s March following President Trump’s inauguration called for people “(to) stand together in solidarity ... recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”
The march itself has been called the largest one-day protest in U.S. history.
The guiding tenets of the movement were taken from the principles of Kingian nonviolence, and thousands of protestors and spectators applauded the march for peacefully uniting millions of angry civilians without inciting violence or riots.
Donning bright pink hats adorned with cat ears courtesy of the Pussyhat Project and signs that ranged from silly to incensed, swarms of white women proudly advertised their involvement in this march, the first political act of protest for many of them. What a great day! Ease of transportation thanks to extended service hours by the DC Metro, safety in numbers and police cooperation, and plenty of photo-ops with self-righteous grannies and cute babies abound!
It’s important to note that zero arrests are not the hallmark of a successful protest. They are indicative of an accommodating police force.
It’s important to note that pink “pussy hats” are not representative of all women. It is possible (and more just) to fight for reproductive justice without equating women to their genitalia.
It’s important to call out the transphobia that many feminist activists and scholars still perpetuate.
It’s important for those who engaged with the Women’s March to recognize the work that black and brown, queer and transgender feminist organizers put in to pave the way for a more accessible resistance.
Kristen Cardozo, a disabled white cisgender woman who attended the march, tweeted about the differences she noticed between the Women’s March and other demonstrations against police violence in a thread that garnered over 11,000 likes. “We should center the marginalized because it is morally right,” she said. “We should center the marginalized because they know more about this than we do.”
