Women’s March supporters seek ways to stay involved in political process

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Feb. 02--Thousands of Minnesota women are throwing themselves into the political process, some for the first time, as they seek to sustain the energy generated by the Women's March the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration.

They're gathering at coffee shops to write letters to elected officials, showing up at the State Capitol and opening their homes for fundraisers for advocacy organizations. While the Jan. 21 march offered a burst of inspiration, drawing 90,000 people in St. Paul alone, organizers and activists hope people now direct that enthusiasm toward focused efforts that could force change.

"I think everyone's feeling about Saturday was that this is just the beginning," said Bethany Bradley, a planner of the St. Paul march.

The national Women's March organization is offering suggestions on its website to help supporters find things they can do during Trump's first 100 days in office. But organizers, elected officials and activists also hope to use the sprawling nature of the march -- staged largely in opposition to Trump but with participants voicing opinions on issues from reproductive rights to racism -- to focus further action. The message? Pick an issue and run with it.

Rep. Laurie Halverson, DFL-Eagan, said she's been getting more calls and messages from people who say they've never contacted an elected official. Many are focusing their energy on things they could influence right away, like the recent debate over a health premium relief bill at the Capitol or the pending special election for an open Minnesota House seat in Chisago County.

"I'm seeing a lot of people get engaged in that," she said of the race for the House district 32B seat. "People in different districts ... are saying: 'Hey, I've got all this energy, so I might as well get out and door-knock in the snow.' "

Some marchers are looking to nonprofit groups, offering up their time and money. It's a continuation of a trend that began after the election, as progressive organizations were flooded with requests from people wanting to get involved. Membership in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has risen to unprecedented levels. The National Organization for Women (NOW) website was down for a week because of heavy traffic.

Defining the movement

Wintana Melekin, civic and political engagement director at Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), a Minneapolis group that drives efforts on racial and economic disparities, marched in Washington, D.C. Back home, she said she's received hundreds of messages from people looking to join in her organization's work.

NOC is putting together house parties, where people gather to talk about the topics that concern them and get guidance on how to turn worry into action. Melekin said she's been telling people to take small, specific steps to build their involvement in politics and organizing.

She said the number of people who turned out last week to the State Capitol to testify against a bill that would allow protesters to be sued for police costs related to demonstrations is evidence that those suggestions are working. "I think this energy isn't going away," she said.

Participants in the march agree that the event was about more than women's rights. But there's not a clear consensus on what else the movement should include -- or who should be included. Organizers and marchers have drawn criticism from people who said they left out women of color, women who oppose abortion and others.

Jennifer DeJournett runs a Maple Grove organization called Voices of Conservative Women, which aims to get more women with economically conservative views in office. She traveled to Washington last weekend to attend Trump's inauguration and said she was disappointed and frustrated with some of the messages of the Women's March.

DeJournett said it seemed the march lacked clear goals and seemed to dismiss the idea that women with a variety of perspectives might be able to accomplish more by working together instead of finding room for division.

"I was glad to see so many women show up and participate in the political process," she said. "I just wish it would have been inclusive."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis, spoke at the march in St. Paul, urging demonstrators to support people of all backgrounds. She said she understood the criticism from people who felt they weren't represented, but that she participated to ensure more perspectives were included.

"I am an advocate of making sure that you show up and you take up as much space as you need and that you let your voice be heard," she said.

'We all need to work harder'

As marchers mull what's next, many say that making the movement more inclusive has to be a top priority.

"We can't ignore it and say, 'Oh, I tried,' " said Gloria Everson, who organized eight buses from Minnesota to the march in Washington.

Marchers said they're not sure if all the people who turned out in the streets Jan. 21 will keep publicly opposing Trump and his policies. But many are convinced the march's record-setting crowds were no fluke.

"What I see is a president and his Cabinet and his advisers ... intent on using the levers of our federal government to move us away from democracy and more toward authoritarian rule," said Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, who spoke at the St. Paul march. "Americans instinctively respond to that push for more authoritarian rule with resistance."

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