On January 21, millions of men and women around the world protested for women's rights the day after Trump's inauguration. At first, I was skeptical to attend the march in New York, but then I figured, "Why not?" It turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my life.
Everything was so peaceful. I was worried it might turn violent, but I'm glad to say it didn't. Every 5 minutes or so, we'd all cheer loudly, kind of like the wave at sporting events. It filled us with energy bursts.
I went with my mom and her friends. I remember when we saw the signs on the subway, we knew it was a big deal. My mom, a former special ed. teacher and current DOE employee, got a sash from a woman in the subway which said, "I want my body private and my schools public" in response to Trump and now newly-elected Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
If it wasn't for the clever and creative signs, the protest wouldn't have been the same. My mom's friend made me a sign that said "WoMEN (We are one)." The most common signs said, "love trumps hate" and "pussy power" or "this pussy grabs back."
Some of my favorites included, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? I see a highly unqualified Secretary of Education nominee." I thought it wasn't only a clever attack on DeVos, but Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was one of my favorite childhood books, which made it even more hilarious. And who could forget the Carly Simon parody, "You're so vain - you probably think this march is about you"?
While people chanted "Hey-hey! Ho-ho! Donald Trump has got to go!", I thought one of the best chants was one created by a little girl. It was, "We need a new leader, and not Trump the tweeter!" I had so much fun screaming that towards the end of the march.
The Women's March on NYC was certainly a remarkable event. It was my first major protest and everything was just so exciting. We still have a long way to go, and while some protests might be too extreme, this one focused on what really matters: equality and love.
