It’s difficult to describe how I felt at the Women’s March on Lansing. Ann Friedman accurately described her experience as being “like drugs.” Jessica Valenti highlighted how it’s “it’s overwhelming to remember that we are not alone. That there are more of us who care about equality – 3 million more to be exact – than there are those obsessed with walls and fear.”
When (primarily) white men and women chose to elect a misogynist, rapist, racist, xenophobic, privileged, unqualified, dangerous, narcissistic man into the highest office in our country they effectively said “you don’t matter” to women and people of color in America. I felt depressed and totally hopeless. All I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and stay there for 4 years.
The Women’s March was so necessary for healing after that experience. I’ve never felt more hopeful for the future of our state and country than I have since being in the presence of so many women ready to fight for respect and human rights for all people. Womanhood is a strong bond. Don’t underestimate our power.
But the Women’s March isn’t over. We must continue to harness our collective energy if we’re going to take back our country from the grips of tyranny. That’s why we’re organizing a Michigan Progressive Summit on March 4 in Lansing.
The Summit is open to the public and will cost $25 per ticket. It’s an opportunity for people across Michigan to come together and gain new skills, learn how to organize in our communities, and find out how to get more involved in the progressive movement. More details are soon to come, so sign up for our email list to stay up-to-date.
In the words of Michelle Obama, “…you have as much responsibility and just as much power to wake up and play your part in our great American story. Because it is absolutely still possible to make a difference. The great moments of our history are not decades in our past; they’re happening right now, today, in our lifetimes.”
The Women’s March was a great moment of our history and it won’t be the last. We must keep showing up and speaking out, today and every day, not just when women’s rights are on the line, but also when immigrants and people of color and LGBTQ people face injustices, because it will take all of us together to turn our country around and create the world we want to see.