Women Unite
Skye Scott, assistant editor
On Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, people across the U.S. marched and rallied in support of the women’s march happening in the District of Columbia. The point of these marches was to show support for women’s rights and equality. One mini-march and rally was held in Charlottesville at the IX Art Park from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“I am proud of and pleased with the efforts of the committee and organizers of Charlottesville Gathers. At first, as I understand, it was envisioned as an alternative that would provide a way for women (and men) who would be unable to make the trip to Washington to be a part of the national movement. It turned out to be so much more. To think that all of that was planned in such a short amount of time is remarkable,” wrote Kate Butler, an administrative assistant in the admissions and advising office at PVCC.
Thousands of women, men, and children came to the IX park with signs and pink knit hats to show their support and have their voices heard. Many of the attendees included families with younger children, as well as some people in wheelchairs. By 9:05 a.m., there was no parking in the provided lots, and organizers advised participants to park in surrounding neighborhoods.
“As we approached IX Art Park for the rally I saw dozens of women and men with their families on their way to the march carrying banners and wearing pink. That filled my heart. Oh how I wished I could have been in Washington, but to see so many people from this region speaking out and committing to fight for basic human rights gave me hope,” Butler wrote.
The rally started with active bystander intervention training, with a provided American Sign Language interpreter. However, only about 300 people could fit inside to listen to this training, so the other participants milled around outside and visited the many folding tables. There was an expectant and excited energy surrounding everyone.
There were several groups with tables outside, including Together Cville, Planned Parenthood, and Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Together Cville had a table for participants to write letters to President Trump, which would be sent after the rally was over.
The Love Army Ukulele Brigade sang “Singing for our lives” in a circle accompanied by guitars and tambourines. They encouraged everyone to join in and learn the lyrics. After the bystander training was over, more music played while people danced and proudly held their signs. Some signs were against President Trump, while others were for women’s equality and rights.
Near the middle of the park a few tables were set up for the purpose of sign making, with provided paper and markers. Here, participants could also receive facepainting or a purple women’s symbol drawn where they preferred.
A common sign marchers presented said “We’re not Ovary-Reacting.” Some signs were also written in other languages, such as Arabic and Spanish.
Within the first two hours of the rally, the park was so crowded that people had to stand in the parking lot overlooking the main park area.
After an hour or so, a few women walked onto the stage and introduced the rally. They encouraged everyone to join in the singing of “We are marching in the light of love.” These women then began the walk around the park. The walking distance was short; however, because of the amount of people participating, it took longer than previously expected.
Four women gave inspirational speeches while the march finished up. One of the women read The Beatitudes (from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew) from the Bible; however, she changed some of the words to be applicable to the march.
Then a reverend from New Beginnings Christian Community gave a blessing. Afterward, she said, “We will not be trumped. We will not be trumped. Love trumps hate.” This was followed by loud applause from the crowd.
The next woman was a Muslim. She read from the Quran and then described some of the hardships Muslim women have faced this year. She said a Muslim prayer that started with, “Oh God, unite our hearts and set right our mutual affairs.”
The last woman to speak was a Jewish rabbi. She said, “We have come here in hope and in defiance.” Then she read a Jewish teaching: “All of the world is a narrow bridge, but the essential thing is to keep hoping.” She ended her speech by having everyone say “Shalom,” which means “Peace to all.”
“Seeing that diverse group of women who helped organize the march was really inspiring and showed me we really aren’t as different as we think we are,” wrote Bernadette Poerio, an intern in PVCC’s academic advising office.
After these speeches, the crowd outside started to thin. Some people went inside to watch the live streaming of the march in the District while others wrote on the “Before I die” wall. A few of the writings were: “See Trump impeached,” “Adding voice in a march,” and “Witness a revolution.”
Before too many participants left, the rally leaders had everyone on the right side of the park say, “Say no to hate!” and everyone on the left side say, “Say yes to love!” After that, people began leaving the park; but music still played for those who wanted to dance and stay longer.
Kristina Simpkins, a student success advisor at PVCC, wrote,“All life is sacred. We need to take care of each other and the planet we share. That’s the message of the march to me. … They get people connected, they get people talking, they help empower people to be bold and speak their truth. We have to speak up and take action if we expect anything to change. … I think the marches show the administration and each other that this is not a small deal, it’s a huge deal. If you won’t support our needs we’ll support each other, we’ll get louder, we’re not going away.”
