It’s been six months since women took to the streets in honor of the history-making Women’s March. On the day following the controversial inauguration of President Trump on January 20, 2017 a crowd of over three million women gathered in cities worldwide to show their support for human, civil, and reproductive rights that have been threatened under the new administration.
Since the march, which became the largest single-day protest in US history, the organizers, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez and Bob Bland, have come up with new ways to keep the momentum going. They launched their 100 Days of Action, which included everything from writing letters to representatives to the women’s strike, A Day Without Women, in March. Recently, they led a nearly 20-mile rally from the National Rifle Association’s headquarters in Virginia to the Department of Justice in Washington D.C.
The activist group met again last Sunday and descended upon Time Square in New York City as a reminder that the resistance is still going strong six months after the march. The Resistance Revival Chorus, dressed in all white, performed Anne Feeney’s protest song “Rich Man’s House,” but with the addition of new Trump-inspired lyrics. They sang, “Well I, went down to the White House and I took back what they stole from me. Took back my dignity, took back my humanity. Now he’s under my feet, under my feet, under my feet, under my feet. Ain’t gonna let the system walk all over me.”
The Women’s March will continue to bring communities together through music by hosting a series of events called “The Resistance Revival: A Restoration of Force.” The monthly song nights will celebrate the protest songs and music that have been a staple in the civil rights movement, while inspiring “a revival of our spirits, of our commitment to the movement, of our joy and of our power.” The first event will be taking place on July 24 at City Winery in New York, where the Resistance Revival Chorus will perform along with other artists.
The activist group has encouraged other organizers to host similar events around the country, as President Trump and his team continue to put civil rights at risk. Over the past six months, Trump has already stopped funding to international family planning organizations through a “global gag rule,” enacted his travel ban targeting Muslims, and proposed cuts to programs that protect women from violence and sexual harassment.
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Text Erica Euse
Screenshot via YouTube