Why I Marched

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Mary Griggs, Politics, Women's Rights

I’ve been asked by family and others just what the fuss was all about on January 21st when the Women’s March was held. The election is over, they said. Why are you still making a fuss?

It is more than the election debacle that we were marching about, although the actions in the first week of the new presidency show that our fears were prescient.

We marched on Saturday because that is how change comes. Throughout history, protests, social activism and resistance are how gains were made. As Frederick Douglass said in a speech at Canandaigua, New York on August 3, 1857:

The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

That is so true. For example:

• Miners (1912) and seamstresses (1911) marched to get better wages, safer workplaces, fewer hours and better benefits for all employees.

• On March 3, 1913, women marched to get the right to vote that many of us exercised in November.

• In 1932, WWI veterans marched for early payment of their bonuses for overseas deployment. While it took an act of Congress to finally get their payments, the soldier’s protest led to the GI Bill.

• August 28, 1963, African-Americans marched to demand political and civil rights denied to them by law and tradition.

• On November 15, 1969, students marched end the Vietnam War.

• Women marched on August 26, 1970 for equal opportunity in the workplace, as well as to secure credit and property in their own name.

• LGBTQ people marched on October 14, 1979 to repeal discriminatory laws and policies. This was followed by another LGBTQ rights march on October 11, 1987 to demand increased AIDS research and funding and still another on April 25, 1993 to demand legislation to protect the civil rights of the LGBTQ community and to end discrimination in the military and federal government.

• Women marched in April 9, 1989 to fight for reproductive choice and again in April 25, 2004 to protect women’s lives and reproductive freedom.

• Those of us to whom black lives matter have been marching for the past couple of years across the nation to protest extra-judicial killings by police and injustices in the legal system.

I went to Washington, DC and took part in the marches in 1989, 1993 and 2004. On Saturday, January 21, 2017 I was in New Orleans and I marched with 3 million others across the world for equal rights, reproductive choice and an end to violence against women.

Holding my sign high at the Women’s March. Photo by Nora Ghobrial

If you weren’t able to march, we marched for you. If you’re actively anti-feminist, we marched for you. Even if you don’t think that any of the issues I’ve listed apply to you, we still marched for your privileged self.

We live in a world created by the actions of activists who fought for generations for your right to piss on our parade. And you can piss and moan all you want but know that millions across the nation are engaged and mobilized. We intend to actively resist the encroachment of fascism and the erosion of our hard earned rights.

If you’re with us in the fight, some of the ways you can join the effort include:

Check out the Indivisible Guide. Written by former Congressional legislative aides, it is a distillation of what they learned from being on the receiving end of right-wing extremist activism. The guide is free, easy to read, and extremely practical about ways to effectively influence your elected representatives.

The organizers of the Women’s March have come up with 10 Actions 100 Days. Their website has simple but effective actions to constructively engage with your elected officials.

There are many organizations working to counter anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant, anti-POC, anti-Muslim, anti-woman and other regressive political efforts. Two I’m personally active with are the Independent Women’s Organization (a New Orleans based Democratic women’s organization) and the Forum for Equality (a statewide LGBTQ organization dedicated to the establishment of a society free from discrimination here in Louisiana). Please support them, if you can.

And, if the marching has gotten into your blood, there are at least two more planned this year. The March for Science (date TBD) and National Pride March on June 11.

Hopefully, I’ll see you in the hall of government or in the streets.

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We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

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Elections, Politics, Voting, Women's Rights

Women’s March New Orleans winds down Decatur Street. Photo by Paul Broussard

I spent yesterday afternoon at the Women’s March-New Orleans. It was one of over 600 sister marches to the Women’s March on Washington, DC that followed the inauguration of Donald Trump as 45 President of the United States.

The news reports pegged the numbers in DC at half a million and over 10,000 here in New Orleans! About 3 million all told around the country and world.

It was marvelous being surrounded by so many who are passionate about their resistance. I had to wonder, though, where was all this passion in November?

Did you know 110,450,842 members of the eligible voting population did not vote?

The crowd in New Orleans was pretty diverse but there were more white women than any other demographic. It made me reflect on those in the state of Louisiana and across the nation who voted for Trump.

Did you know that 62,979,636 total votes for Trump were cast, of which 53%  were from white women?

People joked prior to the election about writing in Mickey Mouse on their ballots. I wonder how many of the people didn’t even vote for the top of the ticket.

Did you know that 2,395,271 people voted but didn’t vote for president?

Sexism was a strong theme to the season with Trump being openly misogynistic and many others mansplaining away their issues with Clinton. While I adore the feminist men who are marching in solidarity today, I can’t help considering the bros who trolled me on Twitter in support of third party candidates.

Did you know Gary Johnson brought in 4,484,244 votes while Jill Stein took another 1,454,244 votes?

I had so many negative discussions about the election and I believe that, more than the bad media coverage, those conversations might have convinced many in crucial swing states to stay away from their polling place on election day.

Did you know that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.86 million votes, which is unfortunately irrelevant as only the Electoral College matters?

Of course, many of those who didn’t vote did so because they had been disenfranchised by Republican led attacks on voting rights.

Did you know that fourteen critical states enacted laws restricting voter access including cutting back early voting, restricting voter registration, and imposing strict voter ID requirements? Such laws disproportionately harm students, the poor and people of color. A report from the Williams Institute found that around 34,000 transgender voters may be effectively blocked from voting in states that require photo IDs because the IDs may not accurately reflect their gender. In 2014, the Government Accounting Office attributed a 2 to 3% drop in voter participation that was attributable to changes in voter ID requirements. (GAO-14-634).

I am very concerned that many of the people who seem so energized this weekend won’t vote in the next election. Here in Louisiana, we have a municipal election on March 25 in addition to the fall election.

Did you know that voter turnout in mid-term elections drops significantly and is getting worse? In 2014, just under 37% of eligible voters turned out to vote, the lowest level seen in a midterm since World War II.

I cling to the hope that our anger from the presidential election lasts beyond the time it takes us to disperse to our individual homes. Echoing the speakers, I implore all who were inspired by the sheer number of people in the streets to step up now. Trust me, the real work of resistance hasn’t yet begun.

The Women’s March page has ways to get folks started with their 10 actions in 100 Days.

We must build on our numbers in order to stop harmful legislation as well as to get beneficial legislation passed. If you can’t make it to Baton Rouge (or your state capital) or Washington, DC, during the legislative session to have your voice heard, please support the organizations on the front lines doing so with financial contributions and/or volunteer time. A number of these organizations are members of Louisiana Legislative Agenda for Women (Greater New Orleans NOW, NCJW New Orleans, ACLU-LA, IWO, WWAV-NO, Louisiana Progress, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Greater New Orleans AAUW, etc, etc) and could use your support.

We must engage with our elected officials! Here in Louisiana, the Secretary of State has lists of all elected representatives – go to the Find Elected Officials page and search the database or download the excel file. If those in Congress or in State legislatures or on City councils or serving on school boards prove unresponsive to We the People, gird your loins to work on electing someone else who will be. I also hope that some of those in the crowd considering running for office themselves.

Most crucially, I implore each and everyone of you to vote in the next election. And the one after that.

Please? For the sake of all of us, we must vote.

******

The title of this post comes from the Sweet Honey in the Rock song “Ella’s Song: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Until it Comes”

Inauguration Weekend

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Events, New Orleans, Politics

There are lots of events happening nationally, around the state and in New Orleans over inauguration weekend of January 20-21 for folks to demonstrate and protest.

Yes, the election is over. While my candidate didn’t win, my greater concern is that the country lost. We saw during the campaign clear racism, outright advocacy for nuclear proliferation and environmental degredation, full throated support for discrimination against Muslims and the LGBTQ community and an erasure of women’s worth outside of her appearance. A bully won where it mattered and that is why I won’t be getting over it anytime soon. I stand firmly against those who equate cruelty with strength and who would undercut basic American values to burnish their bottom line.

Patriotic swan loves America but is no longer so sure about her fellow Americans.

Resistance is more than a single demonstration, though. It is doing the hard work to advocate for the issues which are important to us and the future of this nation. We must monitor the goings on in the White House, in Congress and in our Statehouses. We must become participants in the political process and engage with our allies to defend one another from attack and disenfranchisement.

We need more than armchair activists. We need those who will build community coalitions toward a better, more just society. A good way to start is by getting out next weekend and seeing the people and organizations who are out there, voicing their opposition. Please support them and help further the work.

There is the National Women’s Strike happening by those who can abstain from all labor for two full days beginning on January 20th. Instead of laboring, women are encouraged to demonstrate full access to birth control and abortion, a $15 minimum wage, universal childcare, and paid parental leave as well as talk to families, friends, and coworkers about what is needed to make women’s lives fairer, happier, less hectic and more secure.

J20Nola: Anti Trump Inauguration Rally & March event on Friday, January 20th at Duncan Plaza is a counter-inaguration and the first day of united mobilizations to resist and stop the war on the people.

The Women’s March will be the day after the inauguration in Washington, DC. The march invites people to “come together in solidarity to express to the new administration & Congress that women’s rights are human rights and our power cannot be ignored.”

The official Women’s March New Orleans event page says it is a combined event with Millennials March, March for Louisiana and the March for Revolution NOLA. It will be held on Saturday, January 21st. Folks will meet up at Washington Square Park (700 Elysian Fields Ave). At 2pm, the march will begin down Elysian Fields Avenue, turn right on Decatur Street, cross Canal and continue on Tchoupitoulas St., then turning right up Poydras Street, a right on Loyola Avenue and continue left onto Perdido Street to congregate in front of City Hall. This will be happening at the same time as the Women’s March in DC.

Also on January 21, 2017 at 1:00pm EST, will be one minute of silence for equality. At 1:00pm, all who believe in equality beyond all ages, races, abilities, genders, orientations, economic status, man-made boundaries or cultural borders will stand together in unity. All women, especially those who can not attend a march due to responsibilities, health concerns, lack of liberty or other reasons are expressly invited to join, exactly where they are, through one all-inclusive act: 1@1.

Oh, and don’t forget about the BLUSH BALL 2017 – Party with a Purpose happening on Friday, January 20th at Generations Hall. Tickets available at their website: www.blushball.org Proceeds go to benefit Metropolitan Center for Women and Children.

We can make change happen. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”