We asked ROI staff members who attended the Women’s March on January 21st, 2017, to share their experiences.
”Alison Brazil: I participated in the Women’s March on Washington in DC on 1/21/2017, and it was (strangely) one of the most positive experiences of my life. I wouldn’t say I like crowds. Hate them. I have panic attacks just thinking about them. This march was so peaceful and kind that I didn’t feel unsafe once. I met several young girls and asked them why they were there. They might say, “because my mom cares,” or something like that. Nope. They all had particular reasons that revolved around inclusion and justice. That, to me, is very uplifting. We will make a difference.“Alison Brazil: I participated in the Women’s March on Washington in DC on 1/21/2017, and it was (strangely) one of the most positive experiences of my life. I wouldn’t say I like crowds. Hate them. I have panic attacks just thinking about them. This march was so peaceful and kind that I didn’t feel unsafe once. I met several young girls and asked them why they were there. They might say, “because my mom cares,” or something like that. Nope. They all had particular reasons that revolved around inclusion and justice. That, to me, is very uplifting. We will make a difference.
The Women’s March was not just about the rights of women or minority groups. It’s about being a human. I marched and will continue to stay active to protect the values we uphold and the respect everyone deserves.
Karen Engstrom: That Saturday in January was only the beginning for me. The solidarity and sisterhood of that day and our clients’ important work are my inspirations for daily acts of activism and making sure my voice is heard.
Hesse Phillips: We couldn’t make it to Washington, so my wife and I headed to the Boston Common on the 21st. I wouldn’t say I like crowds – except under exceptional circumstances. On the Common, the crowd sprawled into every available inch of space: people climbed trees, monuments, fences, and heaps of slick ice and snow. Try though we did to get close to the stage, we never quite managed it until the time came for the long shuffle out to the street, which took more than two hours. That’s how many of us were there. Through it all, I never saw anyone lose their temper or vent their frustrations on their fellow marchers. The sense of shared purpose and urgency remained even when you might expect an inevitable loss of control. I saw people helping parents with children, pushing strangers’ wheelchairs over the muddy, trampled grass, and carrying water into the crowd so people trapped in the middle could drink.
At a time when it seems as if we are sliding headfirst into a less inclusive and less trusting society, the Women’s March proved that hope is not lost. The successes of the Civil Rights movement, the Gay Rights movement, and even the Women’s Suffrage movement demonstrate that voices will be heard when raised in unison. We cannot afford to lose all that those earlier efforts gained. All the more reason to revive the energy that has always fueled America’s struggle for social justice. I am hopeful that the Women’s March will be remembered as the catalyst for a new era of inclusion, compassion, and equality.
