POWERFUL WOMEN SPEAK OUT
BY JAMES MA
On the 27th of January, a crowd of 500,000 gathered
at the capital of the United States, rallying for equal
rights. It was an extraordinary sight, a group of both
men and women marching in the heart of D.C., raising
signs and chanting for women’s rights. This was the first
time this decade such a large group of people have
gathered for a common cause. This event was, in part,
a response to the inauguration of the new president
elect Donald Trump, who has visited the White House
weeks before, causing discontent amongst his haters.
The rally sparked nationwide involvement, and a
remarkable 5 million people around the world joined
the movement. Surely, this was something our
grandchildren will study in their history books.
healthcare, environment conservation, LGBT rights,
racial equality, and religious freedom. On this eventful
day, the movement spread to every corner of the globe,
picking up followers and inspiring others along the way.
Celebrities like James Franco, Natalie Portman and Jake
Gyllenhaal joined the movement as well. This
momentous achievement will inspire future
generations to embark on similar demonstrations due
to its purpose, commitment, will. Perhaps the most
inspiring part is that no arrests were made – the whole
of the movement was built from powerful words,
powerful people, and uncompromising unity.
So what exactly did this event accomplish? Aidan Lupori,
a 10th grader at SLAS stated, “It did not accomplish
anything, though it was interesting.” A different
perspective on the event, Aidan believes that “people
disliked Trump, and that was the reason for it all.
Participants just wanted attention.”
The Women’s March was met with mixed responses.
Rodney Watkins, a P.E. teacher at Shanghai Livingston
American School (SLAS) replied, “It was just awesome.
The women wanted a voice, and they spoke out about
their feelings.” Mr. Watkins also said that he would have
joined the movement if he had the chance.
Regardless of different views, the Women’s March on
January 27th of 2017 will continue to inspire men and
It all started on Facebook. After the election of Donald women alike to speak out against inequality and fight
Trump, Teresa Shook of Hawaii created an online for their rights. Participants of the march spoke out their
webpage, wherein the idea of a “women’s march” grew discontents and changes they wished to happen to the
into a worldwide movement, a fight for women’s rights. world, our world. Whether or not this movement
However, this movement wasn’t just about women’s changed anything is debatable, but it surely epitomized
rights. Protestors also raised issues such as immigration, the proverb “closed mouths don’t get fed.”
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