I'm a millennial. You know, one of those people who is being "overdramatic" and "whiny" about the 2016 presidential election? I supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries and voted for Hillary Clinton in the election. I never pictured America actually electing Donald Trump. I had high expectations about the type of people in this country. I thought that we would never elect someone whose rhetoric consisted of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny. I was blinded by hope.

Well, it happened. Donald Trump got the most electoral votes, making him the President-elect of the United States of America. I watched the election play out in a dorm common room with a group of young people of all different backgrounds. Let's just say that as Donald Trump made his acceptance speech, I saw the hope drain from my peers' faces and tears stream down their cheeks. We realized that enough people agreed with or didn't care enough to discredit Trump's hateful and divisive campaign.

I barely got any sleep that night and didn't show up to my class the next morning because of how physically and emotionally drained I felt. My first professor of the day emailed us saying he didn't expect us to show up and my second professor let us use our class period to talk to our classmates about how we were feeling. Tears were shed, feelings of disbelief were shared, and one of my African-American friends confessed that she was terrified.

Now, my friend and the thousands of other people who are scared, aren't fearful of Donald Trump himself. They're threatened by how being hateful towards certain groups of people is going to be normalized. Women realize that because America gave power to a man that says "You can do anything ... Grab them by the p*****," men will think that sexual assault is acceptable. Because we elected a Vice President who believes in conversion therapy to turn gay people straight, members of the LGBT community are fearful of their rights being taken away. Mexicans and Muslims know that hate crimes against them will most likely rise because Donald Trump has generalized them to all be rapists and terrorists. The list of groups of people who expressed fear that day goes on, and their concerns are extremely valid. Hateful acts have already been taking place all around the country. With all this considered, I don't think we're being "overdramatic".

At first, I felt empty and defeated. I was mad at America. I started to think that maybe people, as a whole, aren't as loving and accepting as I thought they were. Was I naive?

Then, at an anti-Trump rally later that evening, my attitude completely changed. My friends and I, along with about 6,000 other people, marched down the streets of Boston screaming things that instilled hope back in me. We chanted phrases such as "Gay rights matter," "P**** grabs back," and "Black Lives Matter." My personal favorite was the women in the crowd would yell, "My body, my choice" and then men would follow with "Their body, their choice." Hearing these words echo through my ears made me realize that people who believe in acceptance are all around me. I realized that since Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, the majority of America was right there with me. That night, we celebrated our differences and showed everyone around us that we will not be quiet about how we feel. People may say that rally didn't actually do anything but for many, it showed us that we're not alone. It proved that if Donald Trump or his supporters keep encouraging hate, we will not be silent. My mindset went from devastated to motivated.

So, millennials and hopeful humans, do not be ashamed by what you're feeling right now. Feel it all and feel it fully. But, don't let it discourage you and make you lazy. Our rage should fuel us to promote progression as much as possible during Donald Trump's presidency. The majority of Americans voted against Donald Trump which means the majority of us still believe in an accepting and loving country.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept” -Angela Davis