Taking to the streets to march again after a 50-year hiatus (last time I marched was to protest the Vietnam war starting in the mid-60s through 1975), I found a very different feeling amongst the marchers. I was part of a sea of over 100,000 people of every gender, every race, every age and every place. I was leading a small group of 6 drummers with 15 dancers processing in a ritual called A Wake and Awaken to acknowledge what we are losing in our democracy and what we can build with our strength in numbers and participation. It was a march with a sense of humor (i.e., pink pussy hats) and a purpose…to let this new administration know that women are alive and well, strong, ready to stand up for our rights in strong and peaceful ways, the rights we have fought to achieve as women. We are ready to stand up to hate mongering, ready to be dancing, drumming and peacefully protesting in the streets as much as we need to… and, to make it clear that we are not going back on all the progress that has been made for women, immigrants and all global citizens who want to live in a more peaceful and life-affirming world!

This march was exhilarating, inspiring, loving and imaginative. It was a time for people to come forward, to express the grief of the ripping apart at the heart of our democracy, to show that there is strength in numbers. We are now activated to march and take other strong but peaceful actions these next years to preserve and create anew our democracy and ways to live in peace with and appreciate and care for the great diversity of all forms of life.