Oklahoma women take part in show of solidarity in D.C.

Jan. 24--WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the skies were gray and the MetroRail was bustling with movement of groups of people holding signs and wearing pink hats.

Families, young students, older couples, and every other type of person represented every state in the nation, and they descended on the nation's capital for one reason: to join the Women's March on Washington.

The sea of pink hats with pussy-cat ears took a sharp jab at President Donald Trump's videotaped comment several years ago that he could grab women whenever he wanted, because of his celebrity status.

Educators and students, advocates and recently-naturalized citizens, business professionals and retirees, parents and children, and many others from Oklahoma drove, flew, or rode in buses and vans to get to the historic event, even though sister marches were happening in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

What started as one Facebook post from a grandmother in Hawaii turned into 4,814,000 people participating in 673 global marches, according to The Telegraph.

National organizers of the D.C. march said the purpose was "to stand together with solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families."

For many, the rhetoric during the election exposed offensive and worrisome views of women, immigrants, Muslims, sexual assault, special-needs individuals and more. The Women's March took place the day after the inauguration of Trump -- a winner of electoral votes, but not the popular votes.

Although technically a protest, organizers said it was not designed to specifically be anti-Trump. It was to send a message to the entire new administration and the world that "rights, dignity, and justice" were going to be defended by the masses, according to womensmarch.com.

Standing shoulder to shoulder on dozens of Washington, D.C. streets for hours, activists -- some who would never call themselves that -- waited for the rally to begin at 10 a.m. The event featured politicians, activists, march organizers, and entertainers on a stage with giant screens and loud speakers placed throughout the blocks.

It was to be over at 1:15 p.m., and then attendees would start walking down Independence Avenue and march to the Ellipse, but that's not what happened.

On Seventh Street, near the corner of Independence Avenue, thousands watched and listened to what was happening on the main stage three blocks away via the Jumbotron. People of all ages and all ethnicities chanted back to the screen in unison, or teared up when 6-year-old Sophie Cruz spoke, or gave silence to hear a spoken word poet, or erupted in cheers when celebrities such as Gloria Steinem or Michael Moore took the stage. And the speakers and entertainers kept coming.

About 1:20 p.m., the Seventh Street crowd was chanting, "March! March! March!" Although polite to their march neighbors, many were getting restless and hungry. They mumbled that the speakers were repetitive and some wondered how the thousands on the side streets were going to join the hundreds of thousands on Independence Avenue to march. Rumor began that there wasn't going to be a march, after all.

At a little after 2, one organizer announced there would be a march, but it would be down Constitution Avenue. This news prompted the Seventh Street crowd to turn away from the big screen and start the movement toward Constitution. Unbeknownst to them, there were more speakers and entertainers to take the stage.

As varied as the speakers and performers were, they represented the numerous causes that brought people to the march. Signs and banners were plastered with remarks on health care, reproductive rights, immigrations, freedom of speech, climate change, LGBTI rights, and much more. Some signs were specifically anti-Trump and his administration.

As with every activist event, there are critics to the concept of the Women's March. Some view its participants as "sore loser" liberals, or an opportunity for privileged women to take a vacation and go to a concert. A post on Facebook is being shared by women who do not support the march because they see it as American women whining, and point out women in third-world countries are facing real atrocities. Marchers have rebuttals to these detractors.

One charter bus that left Oklahoma City Thursday evening ended up in Washington, D.C., with over 50 people of varied incomes, occupations, ages, and sexual preferences. Some had the money to pay the way for their whole families; some were there via a sponsorship. Educators, students, professionals, laborers, and retirees took time off from their regular lives to ride 24 hours one way to exercise their right to protest and to meet like-minded people.

Carie Beasley, of Moore, was on that bus.

"My wife worked for a company for over a year when her best male friend was hired. He had no previous experience, was hired making $1 more than her and she had to train him. That wasn't her choice," said Beasley. "If having an abortion becomes illegal, then that would be taking away my choices. Going to the March helped me to get out of my 'bubble' and talk to women and men about why they were marching. Each person had their own stories -- stories I would have never known or understood had I not gone out of my comfort zone and gone to the March. Being on a bus for almost 50 hours and walking more than five miles in three days is not a vacation."

Others made a point that American women today are riding on the coattails of those who marched decades before them.

"Women are making sure to send a message to government that we won't silently stand by and let them undo the women's rights that have been the law of the land since the '70s. If you don't benefit from current women's rights," said A.C. Wright. "It's because women before you cleared the path so that you could have the right to work, vote, make your own financial/medical decisions and control your own body. Republicans currently want to undo a woman's right to choose, civil rights and protections for LGBTQ and minority folks, and this is what's making people nervous. Hence the March. Maybe you're not impacted, but hundreds of thousands of women in this country are."

So now that the millions who marched have now returned home, there are questions about what is to become of the energy and activism that went into the event. The most common answer is grassroots organization.

"I am taking my enthusiasm, experience, strength and hope back to my home, family and community," said Emily Carter of Oklahoma City. "I'm going to join progressive organizations and follow the suggestions provided by our group and national speakers. I will make calls, go to rallies. I will let this be a platform for continued patriotism."

On the bus ride back to Oklahoma, riders representing student activist groups and nonprofit organizations took turns talking about ways to continue the movement. Some already have groups in place, and some were ready to start a local group.

One type of organizational platform a couple of riders spoke about was "Indivisible." Former congressional staffers who saw the rise and success of the Tea Party have put out a guide with information on successful ways to be heard by Congress.

Beverly Craig Boyer is originally from Tahlequah, but now lives in Broken Arrow. She attended the Women's March on Washington and has plans to locally continue the movement.

"I plan on making my voice heard by calling my senator and congressman to give them my opinion. I plan on financially supporting Planned Parenthood. I also intend to volunteer where I am needed -- soup kitchens, picking up trash in local parks, getting teachers items from teachers wishlists. The list goes on," she said.

The Women's March organization has started the "10 Actions for the First 100 Days" campaign. The first one offered is sending postcards to senators.

"It brought the hope back, but this isn't about emotions anymore. It's about our democracy and our freedoms and the cabinet choices," said Sherry Wallis, who lives near Carter's Landing and rode the charter bus to D.C.

Wallis plans to meet up with the Cherokee County women she met before the trip to look into Indivisible. She understands she must sacrifice time and energy in order to keep her rights, and the rights of others around the world, secure.

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(c)2017 the Tahlequah Daily Press (Tahlequah, Okla.)

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