A year ago many of our fellow Americans, men and women, marched on Washington D.C. in support of women. The marchers were boisterous but very peaceful, often funny, and at times used vulgarity that matched that of our current President.
The Women’s March started as a show of solidarity for American women. What began as an impromptu reaction to the election of a President that showed very little respect for women ended up empowering women to stand together.
I’m proud to have been part of that historic moment. Following the march, some of my male friends asked me, why I went? “Trump hasn’t even done anything yet. Give the guy a chance”, they said. Leadership, sometimes, requires foresight, and the ability identify potential threats before they become a reality. Even before he took office Trump’s actions and rhetoric made it very clear that he had no respect for women or their rights. Just as we now see that the concerns of immigrants and people of color were justified.
I went to the Women’s March in Washington on behalf of my mother, my one-year-old niece, grandmother, aunts, cousins, friends, and community members. If you have any of these, or perhaps a daughter, you should understand the need and importance of this act of resistance.
Regardless of which party is in charge, this is our government, it should always be made clear that we intend to protect the rights of all of our citizens.
As I have said in the past, I stand ready to lend my support to efforts which protect your rights and the rights of your family and friends.
The future that I envision for our daughters, is one of equal pay, the ability to have the opportunity to lead Fortune 500 corporations, and even lead our great nation.
Over the last 12 months, I have been encouraged and inspired by the strength of so many women, I think we all have. Recently, I have been proud to see women get together for the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements. Now, I want all of us to ensure that women working in industries outside of entertainment, like the nurses, secretaries, and waitresses who get harassed daily but don’t have the power of celebrity, are also protected and appreciated.
In 2017, the Women’s March led to an awakening, which kept us vigilant and ready to speak out. Let’s renew our commitment to support women, by joining thousands of other New Yorkers as we March in Manhattan this Saturday.
