Alexandria Galtney
Managing Editor
On Saturday, Jan. 21, Donald Trump’s first day in office, was wrought with protests as millions of women and men marched the streets in various cities, including Washington D.C., protesting his presidency.
The marches, which took place in multiple major cities around the country, sparked major attention and criticism from some conservatives and democrats.
A-list celebrities such as Madonna, Zendaya, Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry, Julia Roberts and more took the stage to call on President Donald Trump to support women’s equality and issues including reproductive rights.
Actress and activist America Ferrera told an audience of millions in Washington, “If we, the millions of Americans who believe in common decency, in the greater good, in justice for all; if we fall into the trap by separating ourselves by our causes and our labels, then we will weaken our fight and we will lose. But if we commit to what aligns us, if we stand together steadfast and determined, then we stand a chance of saving the soul of our country.”
Civil Rights activist Angela Davis also spoke at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington and said, “We recognize that we are collective agents of history and that history cannot be deleted like web pages.”
The roster of celebrity participants grew as sister marches took place in cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Park City, UT and even here in Jackson, Miss.
The mission of the women’s march was to confront the government with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.
Feminists and supporters of women’s rights nationwide from immigrants of all statuses, Muslims, diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, native Americans, black and brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault and more all participated I the protests.
Supporters of the Women’s March of Washington, including Jackson State University students, took to social media to raise awareness and show advocacy for the movement by posting pictures or the different marches taking place, quotes by women during the Women’s Suffrage Movement and song lyrics admiring women and their strength through adversity.
A’shan Martin, a sophomore social work major from Jackson, Miss. said, “Because Trump is known for his vulgar and inappropriate actions with women, the women’s march symbolizes and shows how men still see women as sexual objects and because of his gender and social status he can do the things that he wants. But the women’s march symbolizes that I am a woman, and I am important and you will respect me as such. ”
Conservatives criticized the march for its vulgarity and inappropriate signs displayed that many protesters created for the march. Some politicians have even debated the relevance of the march. President Trump responded to the march via his Twitter account tweeting, “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we had an election! Celebs hurt cause badly.”
According to Mississippi Public Broadcasting, more than 200 organizations, ranging from Planned Parenthood and the NAACP, to Amnesty International and the AFL-CIO, partnered with the Women’s March on Washington.
