I am not moved because I have been here many many times before. Amidst the media storm, they attempted to intercept and lose our message and that loss has caused harm and hurt. Let’s not allow those who oppose our movements to exploit the fear, uncertainty and anxieties in our communities.
I know what we have been capable of, together. You know it too. We are powerful, too powerful to leave alone. To be clear, powerful doesn’t mean perfect. There are no perfect movements nor… perfect leaders. But nonetheless, we knew these days were coming from day ONE.
Some questions for all of you to reflect on.
Who organized the largest single day demonstration in American history?
Who created the boldest, most progressive platform for any march in history in the form of Unity of Principles?
Who went up against the NRA when they targeted our movements by boldly standing up to them in the media and organizing a march in 100 degree weather from their headquarters in Fairfax, VA to DC?
Who organized the largest women’s convention in FOURTY years?
Who launched a 10-city Power to the Polls tour in the great city of Las Vegas with some of the most amazing partners we ever worked with (who now have a women majority State legislature and took out Senator Dean Heller)?
Who trained thousands of women across the country in direct action and nonviolent civil disobedience?
Who organized the LARGEST women-led civil disobedience in American history to protest separation of children and families at the border?
Who co-led FIVE WEEKS straight of organizing around the Kavanaugh hearings, shifted an entire narrative and gave women the space to speak up and speak out in sisterhood and support?
Who along with progressive partners across this country won back the House? Sent 118 women to Congress, many of them true progressives and women of color?
We did. You did. The Women’s March, led by women of color who have built the strategy and behind much of the bold organizing did. The women who have been toiling nationally and our sister chapter leaders in their local communities doing incredible work every single day.
Visibility comes with GREAT risk as you can all see. It’s not all glam and none of you want to be in our shoes but our work is worth it and our communities are worth it.
We won’t let anyone take from us that we took a moment and made it into one of the most effective political movements in a long time. They know we are gonna win because they have seen us win before and know what we are all capable of when we come together. Unity is not and will never be uniformity.
Don’t let people who have not contributed nor put their bodies on the line define this moment - those who understand that we are all vulnerable under a fascist Administration will define this moment.
We will win together. We will write history together. It will be a messy history full of trials and tribulations, hurt and pain but with the consistent understanding that people are counting on us.