Donald Trump

Why They March: Bay Area Women on Why They Are Headed to D.C.

Scores of women and allies are traveling from the Bay Area to D.C. this week for the Women’s March on Washington, an event likely to be the largest demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump thus far.

The march, which bills itself as an inclusive march against sexism, racism, hatred and prejudice will be held on 10 a.m. Saturday, the day after the inauguration. For those who attend, it means skipping the slew of local marches happening at home, walking for hours in the capitol’s unforgiving winter weather and spending hundreds — if not thousands — on airfare and hotels.

Yet all say the chance to attend is well worth the physical and financial burden. 

“It’s outrageously expensive,” said Susan Jackson, a retired teacher living in San Francisco. “But I had to go. I just had to. It’s about standing up for what I believe in, and you can’t put a price on that…not after what we saw during the election.” 

Jackson is one of many women making unique crafts to carry on the long trek. She commissioned a suffragette banner and has been meticulously adding the names of Bay Area women, nonbinary folks, children and men who will be marching with her in spirit. So far, she’s added more than 1,000 names. 

Julie Stevens, who runs the 17 Jewels Salon in Oakland, is also taking a piece of the Bay Area with her. 

Inspired by the Aids Memorial Quilt, she’s been handing out swatches of fabric on which she’s asked immigrant and minority youth to write how they feel about the election. She’ll then carry the quilt to the march.

Stevens, who is deeply involved in the Oakland community, says she struggled with attending the local event or going to D.C. Ultimately, she decided the best course of action was to represent those who felt the neglected or persecuted by the government in the capitol. 

“There are loads of people I’m marching for,” she said. “Those that don’t have the means to make it to DC, those people who aren’t old enough to vote or are scared because they’re undocumented. I’m doing it for them.” 

Others say they are attending to pay tribute to people in their family who have died.

Terry Wing Ot, who lives in Brentwood, says she’s going for several reasons: To represent women of color at the march and to advocate for reproductive healthcare. She never knew her grandmother, who died due to complications stemming from an unsafe abortion in the 1930s — decades before Roe v. Wade would protect a woman’s rights to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. 

She recounted how, on election night, she found herself in a daze. Crying, she wandered from room to room in her home, leaning against furniture to prop herself up. She said she felt like she might faint when Trump took Pennsylvania and Michigan, swing states that ultimately clinched his victory.

“I'm marching for all of family, including my grandmother,” she said. “I march for my two children because they, as people of color, should never be subjected to being treated like second class citizens. And because I feel like if I don’t, I’ll be sunk in despair.”

The desire to present younger generations with positive role models is also fueling Jennifer Katz of San Francisco, who is taking her 8-year-old daughter, Pearl, to the march. 

“I’m a business owner, and I’m constantly feeling like I need to apologize before I ask something, be mindful of how things are worded and cautious of my tone or how it’s presented,” Katz, who owns a private speech therapy practice in the city, said. “That’s not how it should be.” 

Pearl will also be learning another life lesson on the trip — how to be generous. The mother-and-daughter pair has been making friendship pins to hand out to fellow marchers, and they’ll be distributing pens that have the words “Fight The Patriarchy” inscribed.

“It’s important that my daughter has that strong woman role model in her brain,” Katz explained. “She needs to hear and see other women being vocal and not being afraid to speak up and voice their disagreements – or agreements — about what is right or wrong."

She continued: "Ultimately, it’s about putting myself and her in a position to be surrounded by other female warriors from all over the country." 

Are you going to Washington D.C. to support — or oppose — the inauguration of President-elect Trump? Contact Gillian Edevane below. 

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