‘This is history we’re making’ (With Video and Gallery)

Jan. 22--WASHINGTON -- In 1913, around 8,000 marchers came to Washington one day prior to President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration to demand voting rights.

Among the protesters in what came to be known as the "Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913" were Dr. Celia "CiCi" McLay's grandmother and great-grandmother.

One day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, McLay was one of an estimated 500,000 women and men who came to the nation's capital to march for the rights of women and other minorities.

At RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., McLay and other women from across the United States disembarked buses, including buses from Lewisburg, Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Charlestown and Shepherdstown, and began marching along the residential Capitol Hill neighborhood, headed to the National Mall for the Women's March on Washington 2017.

Thousands of them -- many carrying colorful signs and wearing pink, many cat-eared "Pussy Hats" -- walked along the Capitol Hill neighborhood with an air of purpose. The mood was optimistic as crossing guards high-fived the marchers along East Capitol Street.

Residents stood outside on their porches and cheered for those who passed. One family band performed music for the visitors, and an enterprising boy sold hot chocolate.

At the National Mall, black, white, Hispanic and Asian women and their families stood shoulder-to-shoulder, listening to messages on equality by a diverse group of women and some men.

The march was the first demonstration that Susan Sniadowski of Beckley had ever attended.

She wasn't disappointed, she reported Saturday.

"It was absolutely amazing," she said. "There were so many marchers wherever we went.

"Everybody was so friendly and upbeat and just so courteous to everyone," she described. "All of a sudden, you'd hear this roar from the crowd somewhere else, and everybody else would start."

The mall was so crowded that Sniadowski was unable to get close enough to hear the speakers.

"It was just too crowded," she said. "You could not get over there."

She's returning to Beckley with a sense of optimism.

"We're all kind of fired up and just feel like this is history we're making," she said.

Sniadowski, 61, a church secretary who earned a business degree as an adult, attended the march to stand up for her daughters.

----Women's economic and reproductive rights, Black Lives Matter, immigrants' rights, prisoners' rights and LGBQT rights were themes of many speeches given at the march.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, declared, "We're not gonna take this lying down. Planned Parenthood is not the problem. We're the solution... Our doors are staying open."

Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and the first female presidential candidate of a major national party, was lauded by many of the speakers for her work on women's rights issues around the globe. "Nasty women" hats dominated the crowd, along with the pink ones.

"I see a lot of nasty women," Kierra Johnson, president of United for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE), a pro-choice group that focuses on legalized abortion and other reproductive issues, shouted to the crowd. "I see a lot of nasty boys out there, too."

Speakers touched on economic rights, rights to clean air and water and racial justice.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., told marchers she was often called on to talk about "women's issues" in her home state, because she was either the "first woman" or the "first woman of color" to obtain certain positions.

"I'd say, 'I'm so glad you wanna talk about the economy,'" Harris said, earning cheers. "Want to talk about women's issues? Let's talk about the national security."

She added that climate change, immigration, student debt and health care are all "women's issues" since women and their families are impacted.

"We are tired of women as being relegated to a certain constituency," she stated.

Noting the hundreds of thousands of marchers, she urged them to push for women's rights in every aspect of society.

"We have a face that cannot be dismissed or written off into the sidelines," Harris said.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., an Army veteran who lost both legs and partial use of her right arm when her UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Operation Iraqi Freedom, spoke on behalf of Americans with disabilities.

Noting that the Women's March on Washington was her 2-year-old daughter's "first protest," Duckworth said she hadn't shed blood to have the Constitution trampled.

Speakers addressed environmental concerns and prisoners' rights, along with Muslims' rights.

Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab-American Association of New York, said she is "living the dream" of her Palestinian relatives who live in "occupied territory" and stated that Muslim communities struggled under the Bush administration.

Pastor Cynthia Hale, Rabbi Sharon Brous and Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic nun, spoke, along with several Muslim guests.

Concern for the status of immigrants was a theme, with orators urging the women to stand up for the rights of immigrants in their communities so that immigrant families would not be torn apart.

Sophie Cruz, 6, an immigrants' rights activist, captured the affection of the audience when she said in English and Spanish, "We are here together making a chain of love to protect our families.

"Let us fight with love, faith and courage so that our families will not be destroyed."

She added, "I also want to tell the children not to be afraid because we are not alone. There are still many people that have their hearts filled with love and tenderness to snuggle in this path of life. Let's keep together and fight for their rights! God is with us!"

Male speakers urged women to fight for their rights and made vows to stand up for the women in their lives.

"As men, we must protect our women," an unidentified male speaker from the Black Lives Matter movement roared. "We cannot be cowards.

"Today, you will hear the voice of our women," he said. "It's because of women that I am a man."

Michael Moore, a liberal documentary filmmaker, urged women to contact their representatives every day.

CNN political commentator Van Jones was also a speaker.

Marchers carried a wide array of signs, including "Women's rights are human rights" to "Can't build a wall, your hands are too small" to "Keep your tiny hands out of my underpants."

Several celebrities attended and/or spoke, including Ashley Judd, Janelle Monae, Katy Perry, Jessica Chastain and Scarlett Johannsen.

Alicia Keyes performed a special march version of "Girl On Fire."

Mothers who had lost children, including Trayvon Martin's mother, spoke at the event. In an emotional performance, Monae led the mothers and the crowd in chanting names of those who had been killed, including Martin. She also chanted the names of other victims, including Sandra Black.

Madonna issued a profanity-laden message to Trump, before delivering a performance of "Express Yourself."

Many speakers urged marchers to remember that lawmakers work "for the people."

"Donald Trump is the president," Kierra Johnson stated. "He's working for us now."

Gloria Steinem told President Trump, "Do not try to divide us."

Debbie Graff, the Beckley Women's March organizer, said the march has motivated women to stand up for their rights within their own communities around the nation and the world.

"I'm totally motivated," she said. "I don't feel alone. I don't feel cornered. I am so excited."

An estimated 2.6 million people took part in 673 marches in all 50 states and 32 countries, with the largest taking place in Washington.

Graff said a post-march meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at Zen's Cafe in Beckley.

Carme Perez, a co-chair of the march, urged the diverse crowd to stand up for one another's rights.

"Unity of action does not mean we have to be unanimous in thought," Perez said.

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(c)2017 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)

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