Last Friday, Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. In response, tens of thousands of people congregated in peaceful protest over the weekend to voice their discontent with America’s new political regime. Here in Houston, 22,000 people participated in the Women’s March, protesting Trump’s election, his stance on women’s issues (namely healthcare), and his treatment of women in general. Busses of Rice students attended the Houston march. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat feeds have been full of pictures of protestors and signs, pretty much all of which have left me feeling encouraged and hopeful. It’s inspiring to see people that I know and love standing up for what we know is right. But on Saturday, I found myself watching the protest from afar, through the screens of my laptop and cell phone, instead of marching alongside them.

I felt kind of guilty about not joining in the protest and not taking an active role in opposing Trump, his policies, and his actions. If all these people, of all genders and ages and walks of life, who I love and respect and admire think that protesting and marching is the way to achieve social justice, then shouldn’t I be out there with them? The easy answer is yes. It would’ve been the simplest thing in the world to wake up Saturday morning, get in my car, and go downtown to stand with my peers in peaceful protest. But something held me back. Yes, I was busy, and yes, I was tired, but these weren’t the reasons I stayed behind.

The thing is, I don’t feel like I know enough to protest well. Everyone I know and hear of who’s taken part in this week’s protests seems to have specific, solid reasons to stand in opposition to Trump. And while I’ve read his policies and know I don’t agree with a single one, there’s so much more I feel I need to know. I’m not interested in being just another voice screaming into a void. I want to be a powerful voice that speaks out from a point of love and education and good information and passion. There are so many voices right now speaking out in defense of specific movements: Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, in defense of Planned Parenthood… the list goes on. These people are focused on specific issues, issues that I believe in and want to support. But right now I feel that the best way I can support those protesting, and that I can work towards making this a better nation in the next four years, is to listen, and to learn, and to be open.

I want to know what I’m protesting and what I’m protesting for. I want to know where I stand, and why I stand there. I want to be an ally, and the only way I know how to do that right now is to put myself in the background and listen to those who desperately need to be heard. This is absolutely the time to protest; to take action and stand up, rejecting the unacceptable and making positive change in the most peaceful, respectful ways possible. But a big part of this protest and change that I think is easy to lose sight of is the need to listen to one another, and really allow people to be heard.

The only way things will ever get better is if we educate one another. This means letting ourselves be open to being educated; to being wrong, to seeking out accurate information, to learning new things, and to being willing to shut up and listen for a while. To those of you who marched; thank you. Your passion is inspiring, and your voice deserves to be heard. Please know that those of us who stayed behind didn't do so out of ambivalence or submission. I can only speak for myself, but I stayed behind because I didn't want to simply take up space and get in the way. There are people who need to be seen and heard, and this past weekend, I didn't feel I was one of them. But please know that those of us who weren't there in body are very much here in spirit, to be supporters and allies, and to fight alongside you in the best way we know how. Every movement needs its background people, and I'm happy and honored to be one of yours.