On November 8th, 2016, I watched as the 45th President of the United States was elected. What I thought, like so many others, was going to be an uplifting night filled with hope for the future turned into one of shock and fear. On that night, America did not elect the qualified woman who had dedicated her life to serving our country. Instead, our country elected a hot-headed businessman with no prior political experience.
For many Americans, what came in the days following election were feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and denial. The rhetoric of hate had spread across the country and manifested itself in racist and sexist ways. But instead of lying down and taking the loss, strong Americans decided to fight the hate the way they know best: with love.
One woman turned her anger at the election results into action with a simple Facebook post, asking a mere 40 people to march in Washington, D.C. around the inauguration of Donald Trump. The event out of solidarity, to make anti-Trump supporters feel better about the election results. By the morning after the election, 10,000 people had RSVP'd to the event. And the number kept climbing from there. 500,000 people turned out for the Women's March On Washington on the day after President Trump was sworn into office, making it the largest protest of an inauguration in American history. There were also close to 600 other marches across the country, bringing the total number of marches to 2.6 million.
In my home state of Minnesota, I was one of the 2.6 million people marching in solidarity. We marched, listened, and chanted through the capital in a collective effort of love, strength and solidarity. Opposers of the march have said things like, "Why are you even marching?" and, "Nothing is going to happen." But I think they're wrong. The women's marches around the country serve an enormously important purpose. On this new president's first day in office, 2.6 million women, men, and even children showed the Trump administration that they will not back down in the fight for their rights.
The causes that we marched for are not new. People have been fighting for respect and equality for women, people of color, immigrants, and the LGBT community for longer than I've been alive. January 21, 2017 was a day for us to fight together and be as loud as possible. Bernie Sanders may have said it best when he tweeted, "President Trump, you made a big mistake. By trying to divide us up by race, religion, gender and nationality you actually brought us closer."
Despite losing the election, Americans are resilient. Out of the bigotry and hate, we will rise together through love to fight for what we know is right. The women's march is a symbol of our empowerment and strength. And that is what democracy looks like.
