Women’s March Will Matter More Than We Realize

Photography by Classic8Media. Women’s March, San Francisco, CA. January 20, 2018

I’ve now been to two Women’s March. The first one was in Oakland, CA and the second in San Francisco, CA. To be honest, I was not as enthusiastic about going to the second one. The first march was jam-packed in the Oakland streets, we were like sardines. The energy and vibe were intense; people were scared. They were fearful of an uncertain of the future. It was uncomfortable and awkward to glance at a stranger’s eyes let alone talk to them, many of them would just look away. We were supposed to be unified, but I only felt allied in the aspect of showing Donald Trump just how much we despised him. Now, after a year of dealing with violent pro-Trump rallies, fighting fascism and daily insane news updates I figured people were tired not woke. Many of us have been massively trolling and political mudslinging between sides on social media. Even those who chose a political side were dividing themselves internally. What I hear is echo chambers, closed minds and a demand to be the winner of any argument that could come up and become viral. So-called activists were busted out for merely wanting likes and attention more than sacrificing for a cause. Writers and journalists were exposed for spreading lies with their actual interest becoming clear; they wanted their content monetized n some sort of media popularity contest. I was quite pessimistic of how different this march would be and how many people would still go.

Photography by Classic8Media. After Women’s March in San Francisco, CA 3 young women dance at Powell Street and Market to a street performer’s music. January 20, 2018

I was pleasantly captivated by the huge numbers of people that came out, and this time I saw people talking to each other, strangers talking with genuine courtesy. The signs were much more interesting, touching on an intersectional scope of issues. What struck me the most; how many young women were there with exuberant expressions of free spirit and determination. They saw a future they can finally grab and make their own. While I have spent years being pessimistic that the average folks would ever wake up and stay awake, it seems like they are not only awake but fully energized into creating a massive makeover of our country and its culture.

If you are someone like myself, you probably find it impossible to keep up with the Indivisible groups that…