Thrill of D.C. march lingers with participants

Jan. 29--While standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other women last weekend in Washington, D.C., Jennifer Greer could not see beyond the sheer mass of people congregating in the streets.

"Because it was so crowded, your vision did not go beyond the crowd. It was forever. We had no idea really how many people were there until we saw the film from the air so we could see across the whole area," Greer said.

In fact, there were so many that the crowd entirely filled the intended route, making an actual march impossible.

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"I have never been in a crowd with that many people. ... There was joy, and there was kindness, and there was respect, and there was humor, and there was serious talk. I met people from all over this country," Greer said.

Greer was one of several local women who joined a crowd of around 500,000 to protest in favor of a broad spectrum of issues that ranged from reproductive rights to climate change.

As a retired educator, Greer said, she is sensitive to political policies that have the potential to affect the lives of children, such as plans for health care and education.

"I want to make sure that we take care of people as we are supposed to do, and that we're not just looking at the financial and the job end. I know that bringing more jobs to America is a big issue ... because that is something that will affect a family. It's just that, that doesn't always happen for everybody, and we need to make sure that it happens to more people instead of fewer people," Greer said.

Dabney Smith, an art teacher at Davenport A+ School in Lenoir, said she felt compelled to represent the diverse population of students that she teaches.

"Davenport A+ has students from all over the world: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Egypt and India," she said. She recalled one particular student who came to mind at the protest, "a fifth-grade boy who was born in Mexico. During the election, he asked me, 'Ms. Smith, did you hear what Donald Trump said about my people? He said we are criminals.' This broke my heart."

Smith traveled to Washington with two friends from Durham, and she said the march was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

"When we stepped off the Metro, the energy was palpable. People were cheering and singing and waving their handmade signs. The signs were so creative! Lots of signs were about Donald Trump, opposing the statements and actions he's made against women, minorities, the environment, people with disabilities and the LBGT community. Other signs were about women, empowering women to stand up for their reproductive rights, equal wages and against sexual assault. And then there were the very simple yet moving signs, held by children, 'Be nice to each other,' " she said.

She recalled one moment she found particularly moving.

"We joined a large group of African American women who were all singing soulful, gospel songs. We held hands and sang 'We Shall Overcome.' The power of that unity and solidarity brought tears to my eyes," she said. "It made me proud to come back to school, as an elementary art teacher in Lenoir, NC, knowing that I stood up for public education, hoping to make a positive impact for the next generation."

While the march in Washington was massive, many women chose to march closer to home. Bernie Dula of Lenoir, who has Stage 4 lung cancer, said her health would not allow her to travel far, but she was determined to participate, so she went to a march in Morganton.

"It really touches me where health care is concerned, because I could lose it. My children could lose that. They might not even have a chance to get it," she said. "We as women do have a voice and we're powerful. I marched because I have a daughter, I have granddaughters. I have a mother who's still living."

Dula can recall what life was like prior to the civil rights era, and while there have been marked improvements, people still experience discrimination for their race and gender.

"I shouldn't still feel discriminated against as an African-American, or have to wonder if I'm going to be stopped because of the color of my skin, or if I'm going to be discriminated against because I'm a woman," she said. "We are still having to speak up for rights. Yes, it's a little better, but it's not so much improved that we don't recognize it. I feel it every day. I know that it still exists."

Rachel Dalkilic traveled to Asheville from her home in Happy Valley to march.

"I felt like I needed to be part of some kind of resistance movement. I felt like I needed to speak out against what I see as Republicans trying to control women," she said.

She said that above all, those at the march emphasized unity: "The march was very inclusive. It was all about our shared humanity. It wasn't just about women. And there were men in the march too, and some children. It was just about a recognition about each other as people first."

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