January 21, 2017 witnessed the largest one-day protest led by women that the world has ever seen. We want to help preserve the spirit, energy, hope and optimism of that day by asking those who attended the march to submit their thoughts, impressions and memories of the day. Please tell us about what you saw, felt and experienced in the women’s march you attended in your city. Send a photo of you taking part, a picture of your favourite signs, or even some of the tweets and social media posts that caught your attention.
We’ll share the responses here on History Workshop Online. We want the spirit of this historic day to be acknowledged and preserved, so we can continue to be inspired by this beautiful expression of grassroots democracy, peaceful protest, and collaboration between all ages, faiths, sexualities and races.
To submit your reflections, email us at hwoeditors@historyworkshop.org.uk. You can keep your reflection short (a few sentences) or send us a few paragraphs. Tell us where you are from and where you marched. We are pleased to be able to help share and preserve this important day in women’s history and the global history of protest.
I wasn’t there but my son was in NY from Vt. my daughters from Ohio and Maine went to DC, my grandson was in Boston, another grandson in Montpelier Vt. andI think probably my other grandson and granddaughter in Portland ME….and I suspect other family as well around the country. Also folks all around my state, Maine, gathering in rural towns, our capital and in small cities.I feel hope after feeling so discouraged…hope that women will infuse our country with the energy/strength to confront women’s issues: health, education, work, social justice, criminal justice and family. Thank you!
I was in NYC and I traveled there by train from a farm in Pennsylvania. My neighbors are Trumpsters and were appalled by the March and all of the pussy signs. Meanwhile I was thrilled and have now committed myself to be an Activist for the cause. The strength in numbers is where our power was that day and we will now continue. This is just the beginning of the beginning of us! Watch out as we will be the Change.
I felt I just had to be there with my seven year old daughter Annabelle and best friend Clare Delaney. I am outraged that the US President is a mysoginistic perpetrator of serial sexual assaults against women. I admire the bravery of his victims who spoke out about their experiences and weren’t listened to, and wanted to support them and all victims of such crimes. I was angry that he wasn’t arrested and investigated after these allegations were made?
On Saturday we needed to come together in solidarity to stand up for the rights that we have fought for so long to secure.
We needed to speak out against the bigotry he has shown towards immigrants and Muslims and to protect the rights of all minorities. These are frightening times, I am worried that the carefully developed diplomatic relations nurtured since the end of WW2 are being trampled upon. I am concerned that so many lies are being peddled by this demagogue and his followers and that the facts are being shut down. The history of civil rights has already been removed from the US government website like it hasn’t happened and didn’t matter.
It was incredible to be part of such a historic worldwide protest and to feel that we were all being heard collectively, around the world as one voice. It was as though we were all part of one big family, with a shared vision for a more humane, fair and just world. I had an American man stopping me on the tube, on his journey to the airport, apologising for not marching and thanking me saying, “It really means a lot that you are doing this for us”. I was inspired by the huge numbers of younger women, girls, teenagers and boys and men marching of all ethnicities and religions. There were elderly people pushing bikes, people in wheelchairs and three generations of families side by side. The march has given me hope that people will not be afraid to campaign for change. I hope it leads to people having renewed strength, courage and confidence to push for a brighter future not a return to a darker past. If this happens in the ‘Western World’ then women all over the world will only suffer as a result.
I couldn’t March as physically disabled seated person with spinal muscular atrophy but I made sure to register to March online I needed to be heard as a seated woman I want to be heard and to let other women know I’m not there physically but I was there with you