Talk about an eventful weekend. Yesterday I took part in the Women's March rally in Chicago. What began as a gathering of peaceful protesters in Grant Park grew to over 250,000 spirited individuals raising their voice for the sake of equality. It was an incredible feeling being surrounded by so many people, standing up for the same cause. It truly gave me a renewed sense of pride for this country.
If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure how to go about writing this post. I was so excited to share my experience but wanted to do it in the most nonconfrontational way. That's when I came across this post a friend had shared on Facebook. Being a woman I feel like I'm programmed to be wary of speaking up -- this could be a result of how I was raised. Hence why I almost didn't write this post. I was too worried about offending others with my views. Then I reflected back on the purpose of the march and realized that wasn't a good enough reason to not share this important moment in history.
So here's a little breakdown of how the day unfolded.
We started out bright and early, glittered signs in hand. Fellow protestors gathered together in little packs with their poster board signs and the occasional pink uterus hat. As we made our way over to the train we had mixed responses from bystanders, some tried to hide their interest while others hollered from the across the street with encouragement.
I honestly didn't know what to expect once we reached the Loop. Crowds began to congregate and so we pushed our way into the masses. Once in the middle of it all, there was this rush of excitement in the air. Everyone was anxious and ready to march but no one really knew where to go. One of the best parts was seeing men and women alike holding signs and let me tell you, I was impressed by how many were so clever!
As I started to really think about the purpose of the march. I noticed that some signs were directed more towards Trump rather than women equality. It seemed as though the message had begun to get misconstrued on social media, more specifically Facebook.
Personally, I marched for the sake of equality.
I am the first to agree that there are women who to take the term "feminism" to extremely levels. I know that's why I had a hard time coming to terms with calling myself one for the longest time. But the basic ideal of the term is equality. Maybe we need a new word, who knows. Yet, there are always going to be people take things to drastic levels in order to get their point across.
“If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything”
I think Aziz Ansari’s SNL monologue hit the nail right on the head. Aziz spoke on a level that every human could get behind. He summed up the current situation of our country in a humorous way that made the future look a little less bleak.
"Change doesn't come from presidents; change come from large groups of angry people."
There's a feeling of civil responsibility to speak out when you feel something isn't right. And that's why I chose to march. Whether you were for or against the march, it’s hard to deny the incredible power of strength in numbers.