WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a small church in Washington, D.C., a few hundred members of the Colorado delegation to the Women’s March on Washington prepared for their day of rallying and marching.
“After the election, I was finding that I did not see myself and my values in the current administration, and I wanted my voice to be heard. I realized if I want that to happened, I need to show up and to speak,” said Jana Watson-Capps of Longmont. The Women’s March on Washington, organized as a result of the election of President Donald Trump, drew hundreds of thousands Saturday to the nation’s capital.
Women came from all over the country, and photos on social media of airplanes filled with women headed to the march weren’t uncommon. “I flew on a plane with a bunch of other women. It was great. There were a bunch of pink hats everywhere,” Watson-Capps said.
Many women said they decided to attend out of a fear of the unknown.
“The future really scares me. It’s very uncertain at this point,” said Mary Porter of Superior.
The atmosphere at the march was one of celebration and excitement for change.
“I did not imagine it would be so many people, and everybody is just so happy to be together. The sheer sort of number and joy of folks involved has just been amazing,” said Watson-Capps.
Before they left the church, the Colorado chapter co-organizers spoke to the delegation. “This is not a step, it’s a marathon,” said Tikneshia Beauford of Denver.
Many mothers and daughters, such as Nancy Howe of Reno, Nevada, and Emily Teravest of Boulder, came out to march together.
“I have a daughter, and I just want to make sure she has all the rights I had, and hopefully more, when she grows up,” said Teravest.
“I have two daughters, and two granddaughters and I want them to have the rights that we fought for,” said Howe.
Although the name was the Women’s March, men came to support the women in their life.
“I’ve been told by the women in my family that I’m going to march with them, and when they say, ‘You’re coming with us and you’re going to march,’ I say, ‘Yes, when?’” said Dick Woods of Connecticut, whose daughter lives in Boulder.
The march started with controversy over the original proposed name of the “Million Women March,” which was a 1997 march of African-American women. It then became the Womens March on Washington, and launched a progressive, intersectional platform.
“Everyone wants dissent to be perfect, but there’s no one way. The good thing about the critique of this being a white ladies event is that it helped to wake people up about intersectional feminism,” said Lindsay Hudson of Denver.
Because of the large crowds, marching to the White House, which was the original plan, was scrapped.
“At the end of the day, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do. We’ve made our statement,” said Colleen Dunn of Denver.
Shira Stein is a reporting intern for the Herald in Washington, D.C., and a student at American University. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @stein_shira.
