It’s official, people. We have now entered into the Trump era. This surreal fact would be slightly more terrifying in principle if there was not a counter-movement in the works. Which, clearly and boldly, there is. A burgeoning era of resistance and activism is upon us, and I had the privilege of witnessing the first tendrils of the collaborative resistance that will come to define these next four years at the Women’s March last Saturday.
Approximately 175,000 dissident men and women descended upon Boston Common to foster a sense of solidarity and a defiant fervor against the exclusionary policies and agenda of the Trump administration. It was the largest peaceful protest in American history, and included an impressive number of sister marches in 600 countries on all seven continents.
We are rapidly confronting a new landscape of US democracy, equipped with an administration that does not prioritize the rights and interests of all socio-political identities within the United States. But if you have been following the discrepancies and pitfalls of the democratic system known as the electoral college, you would know that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote despite not winning the election. The people spoke, but an outdated governmental system just didn’t listen.
The significance of Clinton winning the popular vote by almost three million votes reaffirms that the greater population disagreed with the racist, sexist, xenophobic, ableist, and homophobic/transphobic sentiments of our current president and the individuals who surround him, including his supporters and cabinet members. It’s a point that is both reassuring and dismal; that dissent was in higher number than support but the voice of the people was thrown by archaic politics.
Yet, people are showing up big time to fight the system, as I and most of the world witnessed Jan. 21. The Women’s March was a glowing emblem of what true democracy looks like, and a dignifying reminder that the fear, despair, anger, and hopelessness that has consumed the hearts and minds of so many since Nov. 8 is shared among millions of citizens. Diversity, and the safeguarding of it, truly matters, and it’s empowering to see such solidarity in action.
All in all, I felt that the march was a staggering success. I was standing next to thousands of people from every walk of life and background: men, women, young, old, LGBTQI individuals, persons with disabilities, people from every race, ethnicity, and religious background. A sea of “pussy hats” and sings clad with feminist slogans and political jabs were in abundance. The energy was infectious and truly intoxicating. And to add to the civility of the event, it was all peaceful, with not even one arrest.
Yet I have seen some critiques concerning the march, emphasizing the fact that it lacked an effective intersectional component (intersectionality being the idea that oppression functions along an “intersection” of race, class, gender, etc, and a person’s privilege is determined by their identity). The critiques also highlighted the shortcomings of the traditional feminist legacy, which has been seen as prioritizing “white feminists.”
Women of color also expressed their hesitance to even show up to the March after feeling blatantly slighted by their fellow white female Americans of which 53 percent voted for Trump (compare that to the 94 percent of black American women who voted for Clinton). These concerns are people with less privilege simply trying to point out the need to acknowledge, define, and use our spaces of privilege to help others in the fights against oppression, especially along the lines of gender and race, but also accounting for any other socio-political identities that may have their voices suppressed. Intersectional feminism was definitely a centerpiece of the protest, but I can also appreciate the critiques and concerns of non-white women who perceive activism by white feminist as activism for white feminism.
A widespread open discussion on how to ensure that all identities are prioritized, heard, and designated at the forefront of this social movement will be a defining aspect of the success of this new era of activism and social mobility we find ourselves in.
With that being said, I have immense hope and optimism for the future. That’s not to say that these next four years will be anything other than downright exhausting, infuriating, and demoralizing at times. They will be. But if there is anything that Trump has done for us with his divisive rhetoric, it is the bringing together of a spirit of staunch solidarity and unity. That unity may not be perfect. It might be fractured and in its infancy within these borders, but with our combined, determined effort, we can smooth out the jagged edges and create the socio-political revolution this country so desperately needs.
These are definitely times of uncertainty, there is not doubt there. But if the overwhelming turnout of the Women’s March is any indication, these are revolutionary times, and the stark opportunity for the millions in this nation to come together with compassion, with acceptance, and with hope to affect far-reaching positive change.
I’m ready to fight. Are you with me?