2020 Lessons from the Women’s March

By Abigail Simard

For the fourth time since Trump’s inauguration, thousands of people took to the streets for the Women’s March. While attendance was low this year in comparison to previous marches, recent developments on impeachment and the approaching presidential election contributed to a new level of urgency among the crowd.

Since the first March on Washington in 2017, the Women’s March has received criticism for a lack of inclusivity. Last year, three of the leaders of the original march stepped down after accusations of anti-semitism. Recently, Women’s March of LA excluded Black Lives Matter from speaking at the 2020 march, explaining that their “speaking program for Women's March LA 2020 is focused on highlighting organizations and individuals who have a mission to register and encourage people to vote.” 

These controversies are one reason support for the movement has died down in recent years, with many feeling as though their interests and opinions were not being reflected. While the Women’s March has seen success over the past few years, they would have been able to accomplish much more by sharing their platform with a more diverse group of activists. 

Despite being under the shadow of controversy, the message of this march came through clearly: Trump and his allies are a threat to our democracy, and they must go.

This message, clearly conveyed through a multitude of orange signs reading “Trump/Pence Out Now” and a number of other anti-Trump slogans, is no surprise considering the timing of this year’s march. After the House voted to impeach the president, more and more Americans have come to an understanding of what another four years could mean for this country. We have reached a pivotal point in our history, and re-electing an impeached president would do nothing but harm.

While Democrats are in wide agreement about what must happen in November, there will be several opportunities for us to be divided in the coming months. If disputes can arise even among the original movement against President Trump, we should be wary of the consequences of silencing voices that share many of the same goals.

Now is not the time to be dividing people who should be standing together. If Democrats are truly going to win this year, we need to work together to get out the vote and move this country in a better direction.

Abigail Simard is a Freshman from Farmington, Connecticut majoring in Creative Writing and English.