The Women’s March on Washington (in the U.S and around the world) tops the list of momentous occasions in my lifetime. I was brought to tears several times on Saturday watching people come together during this difficult time. The heartfelt speeches, signs and symbols that were filled with emotion and testimonies, displayed visually the pain the majority of Americans are feeling.

One of the courageous teachers that attended the march on Saturday in New York City was  Ms. Taylor. She wrote a passionate essay about her experience and why she marched. The essay is quoted below.

“People keep asking me why I marched yesterday. I’ll admit it. I’m still grieving over the election. Yes, grieving. That’s a new one for me. I’ve been disappointed before, we all have, but this time it’s different. Palpable. I’m afraid for our country.

But I believe a gathering of hearts can shift the energy of a nation. And so I marched. I marched for my nephew with a pre-existing condition. I marched for my niece who is beautiful and perfect and in love with a woman. I marched for people of color who continue to face discrimination. Equal pay for equal work. Health care for all. I marched for clean water and breathable air. I marched because words matter, and when our leaders talk about carnage and conversion therapy and Muslim registries, they are telling us who they are. I marched because no matter how famous you are, grabbing a woman’s genitals without her consent is sexual assault.

Sometimes you have to find your people. Yesterday, I found about half a million of mine in NYC. As Mother Pollard of the Montgomery bus boycott said, (Thanks for the quotation, Mark Childress!), “My feets is tired but my soul is rested.” My soul is rested and ready for the next step, the next march, the next call to action. The movement has begun, and it’s strong, courageous, and filled with love, like the women who inspired it.

Barbara J. Taylor “

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