I didn’t anticipate the number of people or the difficulty of getting downtown and finding a parking spot . Typically I can leave my house and be where I want to be within 10-15 minutes. But this was different. It was the Women’s March on Raleigh. The anticipated crowd was about 7,000 but the actual total was over 17,000. The back streets that are usually not used were even packed and gridlocked. I found a spot closer to the end of the march path at Moore Square. Wally can’t walk as much as he could in the past so the end is where we stayed.
Wally at Woman’s March in Raleigh, NC
When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was a woman standing alone, off to the side on a small retaining wall and holding her sign. She didn’t need to be part of the crowd to make a statement, she just needed to make a statement. That should be a good lesson for all of us. Stand up for what you believe and make a statement.
The Woman’s March is not the only place you can make a statement. Anywhere, any time, all the time is the time to stand up and make a statement. Although this image wasn’t taken during the march, she had the same message. It goes to show the problems and issues are not new but now is the time to make them stop.
The mission of the Women’s March is to stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.
(Taken from mission statement on the Women’s March in Washington’s website. https://www.womensmarch.com/mission/)
Exploration through the lens 