Over 6,000 in Sonoma County March in Solidarity with Historic Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
Saturday’s attendance at the “Sonoma County Stands Together for Women” Rally and March, a sister march to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. exceeded everyone’s expectations! The grassroots organizing committee met for the first time on November 17, 2016 at SoCo Coffee in Santa Rosa (of course I was there!) and within two months, with over 200 volunteers, pulled off what is being called the largest demonstration in our County’s history. There were 673 participating locations worldwide and the sense of world-wide solidarity was breath-taking. Together, we sent a message to our leaders around the world that we “stand for values of human decency, equal rights and freedom from discrimination.” Our event was meant “to showcase the strength and wisdom that our country has to offer when we embrace our neighbors and our differences and come together to promote the common good.” Our march brought together men, women and children of all backgrounds, races, religions, and ages in our region. Everyone was happy to be together. The event was not just wildly successful but also inspiring, peaceful, colorful and energizing. It brought Baby Boomers together with Millennials and GenXers and gave us all hope in numbers. Dusty said it was the largest demonstration she had ever participated in and it gave her faith that the fight continues in earnest again.
Dusty, Jean and I attended and marched together and like so many others are ready to do it again! Dusty was devastated when Hillary Clinton lost the Presidential election. After crying when the loss became clear she said, “I thought I would be able to see a woman President in my lifetime. I don’t think that will happen, now.” I felt the same way. But for us, it was more than that. It’s the concern that we stand to lose the rights we already fought for in Dusty’s and my lifetime.
I believe we stand on the precipice of a cultural change that requires us all to seek healing from hate, violence and divisiveness but we’re only beginning and we still have a lot of work to do to get it right for our world. I remember Gloria Steinem suggested two years ago that it could take another 100 years before women’s rights are truly acknowledged as human rights. Fighting for fairness remains our struggle today but it was heartening to know there are millions of women and men everywhere ready and willing to keep the movement going.
Here are some photos I took that day:
Jean Montague is on the left and Dusty Roads is on the right wearing her “Nasty Woman” sweatshirt.
Jean’s neighbor Walter, Jean, me and Dusty ready to march.
Miscellaneous photos of the march in downtown Santa Rosa:
