Photo Courtesy of C.B. Fletcher
On January 21, 2017, streets around the world turned pink and shook from the passionate vibration of a unified message for gender equality at the Women’s March on Washington.
Although fiery passion could be felt at the Washington D.C. march and the hundreds of other marches worldwide—673 marches to be exact—the atmosphere was one of love and unity amongst the chanting crowds, at one point quoting former first lady Michelle Obama saying, “We go high!”
Most of the leaders of the Women’s March are women from all backgrounds who built this cause from a single Facebook post demanding that women speak up. Their principles, as listed on their website, are to create a non-violent movement to emphasize that “women’s rights are human rights.”
Activists and celebrities alike contributed their voices from a more personal perspective while simultaneously making a universal connection to the cause regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, or faith. Their words stirred the crowd and revved up the aura of revolution that took to the streets and social media.
At times, there was a wave of cheering that blanketed the National Mall in seeming praise for the unity and progress. And even with the negative commentary from a few supporters of the new U.S. president and his administration—some bashing the movement on social media—that did not deter the motivation.
The message of demanding basic human rights for women and negating any discrimination regardless of faith, gender identity, and ethnic groups was clear. With the energy of this movement in mind, millions of people agreed that we cannot be a force in voice and not a force of action. Therefore, it is important that people all over the nation take that same energy back into their respective communities and implement ways to ensure basic civil rights and equality as promised to us by the Constitution.
Photo Courtesy of C.B. Fletcher
Have no idea where to start? Here are five ways to keep the fire going and get involved in the fight for equality and protection against marginalization:
- Research and support local organizations that deal with minority and women’s issues, in addition to outreach and educational organizations that are designed to propel others forward.
- Educate yourself on local and global issues through major and smaller news outlets.
- Push for consent and self-defense classes for students of all ages to help reduce the rate of domestic violence and sexual assault. Additionally, provide resources to students on basic laws regarding sexual assault.
- Don’t allow the Women’s March to be your only movement. Join and support other causes that are affecting other large groups of people both locally and worldwide. We must acknowledge that there are blanket and specified issues that all need attention.
- Connect with your local, state and federal officials to voice your suggestions or opinions publicly, then follow up with an email or letter. This can be done on social media, at a local town hall meeting, or even at a state convention as a way to maintain open dialogue with those who have the authority to make the changes to our legislation.
The overall message of the Women’s March in Washington and all over the world was clear: “We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all, ” according to the organizers’ website. Does this message sound familiar?
How do you plan to move forward in our nation’s fight for equality? Share your thoughts below.
My hope is that President Trump will realize that he is not the CEO of the United States of America !!
I plan to speak in my community and family about the absent of equality in this Trump administration. I am 68 years old I never thought we (the United States) would allow a Lying, Child Molesting Rapist, Clearly himself a Thief, someone who is ready to sell our country to Russia for his own profit .
I just pray that God will Forgive us for what we have done to the world by letting this man head our country.
We must not stop now but women must engage at every chance let’s Stand together the next step should be to Impeach this Mad Man.
Lord! help us black folks to stop allowing ourselves to led by folks who don’t love you! Open our eyes Father God so that we can see clearly your perfect way and will in human affairs. Help us to understand that you don’t change. If you allowed your own people, who you chose, to go into captivity TWICE under pagan rulers, then why can’t you show that you’re still in control in 2016 by allowing Donald Trump to get elected? You allowed Barack Obama to serve two terms, and it may nave been to get folks on their knees to you. But did black folks do that? Pres. Obama pushed for same-sex marriage, strongly advocated for abortion, and made the country of Israel more vulnerable with his aid to Iran and monetary help to other groups which want to destroy Israel. Your word says Yeshua the Christ will return and step on the Mount of Olives, which is in Jerusalem. How will that occur if hostile, radical Muslim push it into the sea, as Iran has promised to do? Now we know Father God’s purpose is not for Israel to be destroyed because of His promise. But why do those who say they know Father God support and listen to and follow folks who don’t love Him? And that is key here? Do you love Father God through His Son, Yeshua? I question whether Obama loves Father God; you may question whether Trump loves Him. I don’t know. But what does the Word say: you shall know them by their fruit. Now to look for the biblical example, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, didn’t love Father God, yet Father God used him to take the Israelites into exile for 70 years. Jeremiah never told the people to love the pagan king – he said them to be obedient to Father God and it would go well with them. He was persecuted by HIS OWN PEOPLE for telling them what thus said the Lord. They wanted to kill him because they didn’t want to hear the message from Father God. The Father had told him earlier when He gave Jeremiah the assignment that the people wouldn’t listen to what he said. Because they continued to run after the “stubborness of their own hearts,” Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Zedekiah, king of Judah. He killed Zedekiah’s sons and some of the royal officials, put out Zedekiah’s eyes and took him to Babylon. The Babylonians burned down the temple after taking all the articles of value to Babylon. In Jeremiah 27, Father God said, “I made the earth, humankind, and the animals o the earth by my great power and my outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to me. For now, I have given over all these lands to MY SERVANT Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon; I have also given the wild animals to serve him. All the nations will serve him, his son and his grandson, until his own country gets its turn – at which time many nations and great kings will make him their slave. The nation and kingdom that refuses to serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, that will not put their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish,” says the Lord, “with sword, famine and plaque, until I have put an end to them through him.” Jeremiah later wrote a letter to the exiles in Babylon and told them they’re going to be there for 70 years, so they need to build houses, marry, let their sons and daughters marry, grow crops, increase and not decrease. Then he added, pray for the place where you are, for its welfare will affect you. Father God can use anybody he wants. We, who say we love Him, are supposed to humble ourselves and let Him use us the way he sees fit. And it means many times separating ourselves from those who don’t love Him. When we let Him through Yeshua, clean our hearts, we won’t even desire to be around those folks unless the Holy Spirit leads us to minister to someone. His call is not for us to be equal or seek equality – He wants us to be Holy and seek holiness! Being equal with somebody is not going to bring us closer to Yeshua. I didn’t understand this some years ago, but thank the Lord for helping me to understand that we black folks have been led the wrong way so much ever since we’ve been in this country. And most of us have not been healed through Yeshua so that we know how to love Him and then show love to each others. Instead many of us don’t ask questions of people, and we allow ourselves to be manipulated over and over and over. We need to gird up our loins and do all we can to give praise to Yeshua, ’cause He’s the only one who will set us free! He’s coming back for a “church” without spot or blemish. If Father God allowed Trump to win so that blacks folks will wake up, repent, and turn to Him, then wonderful! I don’t see that it happened under the eight years with Obama. So sad that we want so much to be a part of all these groups and don’t want to be leading these folks to Father God. I hope those of you who love Him can receive this long response. We have to pray and listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit, then act when He tells us to. Please have a blessed night!
Yes. Good wants us on our knees. Not just black folks but every other race as well. We need to stop identifying our race before our relationship with God. I am a Christian. I belong to the family of God. I happen to be black. I see things through the lens of Christianity. Race is secondary. Very secondary. And as Christians we need to stop accepting abortion and the homosexual agenda no matter who is pushing it. Obama claimed he was a Christian but clearly his policies were ungodly. Yet black Christians overwhelmingly supported him. Would Jesus have approved of his policies? We need to stop living our lives according to skin color and start living according to God’s Word.