Why Women Marched As One in Washington

When there is a protest, people take notice. When Blacks riot against hate crimes on their people, the media brings it to your living room. When the Million Man March took place in Washington in 2015, many thought is was the beginning of something else to come. When woman stand together, people will see that we are strong. When women unite, they will learn that we are one! We are powerful! We are women!

This post is on the Women's March that took place in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2017 and three of the co-founders of this historical event.

Tamika D. Mallory - created the NYC Crisis Management System, a gun violence prevention program. She served as the Executive Director for the National Action Network, then founded Mallory Consulting, a strategic planning firm with a focus on African American outreach.

According to the interview in Essence Magazine, Ms. Mallory explains the reason she became involved in the Women's March. She says she got involved because, "these perpetrators think we are weak." She also became involved because she feels women forget their power.

I believe, as women, we often doubt who we are, separate ourselves by race, religion and sexual orientation. If we could just remember our power, even as one, we will discover how amazing we are! But, if we come together as one, we are a force to be reckon with!

Read more on Ms. Mallory's interview in Essence Magazine's December Issue here.

Carmen Perez, Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice and Peace, a criminal justice reform activist and organizer, and Co-Founder Justice League NYC.

According to the interview with her and fourth co-founder, Bob Bland, on PBS New Hour, Ms. Perez said that the Women's March in Washington was, "to ensure that Congress, President Trump, and the Senate know that we are going to fight for our rights and protect the most marginalized communities." Ms. Perez fights to allow women to make decisions about their bodies, reproductive justice rights, immigration and criminal justice reform and indigenous rights.

If you are interested in the full interview, you can listen to and read it here

Linda Sarsour, Executive Director, Arab American Association of New York and co-founder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPOWER Change. Her message in joining the Women's march is to send the message that "from climate justice to racial justice to immigrant rights, reproductive rights, Native rights, we are united." She believe women are committed to work together, as told to Rolling Stone Magazine.

Mrs. Sarsour did not want the Women's March to be one racial group coming together. She was glad that a diverse group of women would be included. Even Muslim women. Mrs. Sarsour got involved after posting a comment on a Facebook feed on the Million Women March in Washington.

Read more of what Linda Sarsour said in her Rolling Stone interview here.

Since President Trump was elected, there have been many incidents of hate against women. For instance, in Michigan, a man threatened to burn a Muslim woman unless she removed her hijab. In Colorado, a young black girl was told by a white boy of the same age that he was going to shoot her and other Black women he could find. And in New York, the day after the election, an Asian woman was told to go back where she came from because no one wants her f***ing disease.

The women who attended the various marches came together for many reasons. Some came together because they do not want Trump as their president because of his negative remarks against women. Others came to rally together to show that as women we are no longer going to be quiet. It is our time and time is now!