The March on Monument started with a Mom who wanted to reach out and connect with her community. This turned into a small group of women, many had never attended a march, who persevered through planning, obtaining permits, seeking other diverse voices to speak, and all the countless other details that go into planning an event this large, like acquiring police escorts for a rolling blockade of streets and the ACLU to serve as a go-between. MOM — March On Monument — moms had it covered. No wonder there were so many smiling faces of children in the crowd.
January 14th — just another Saturday in Richmond, Virginia — except it wasn’t like any other Saturday I’ve ever seen since I moved to RVA over a decade ago. The joy and unity was almost palpable while the crowd gathered around the Lee Monument, the bronze statue of the Confederate General on his horse perched in the middle of a 40-foot tall chunk of granite on Monument Avenue, children running in and out of pockets of adults. People held signs with messages of unity and inclusion. People talked with each other. People listened.
Many had never been to a protest march, like Hanna Zhu, who announced newly elected State Senator Jennifer McClellan (she won in a special election on January 10th for SD 9). Zhu said, “I grew up in China and came to the U.S. in 1999. On August 31st of last year, I became a U.S. Citizen. Last November, I cast my first ever vote. And today, I marched my first ever march!”
Lately, it seems like us Democrats are more connected. Our candidates feel more like our neighbors than ever, as they march side by side with the disenfranchised (see photo of Ralph Northam in the crowd, currently running for Governor of VA). A beautiful thing has happened on a scale that is hard not to take notice — a lot of folks, not traditionally disenfranchised, have joined the march for equality. They didn’t have to be there — they wanted to be there and show support. And, if you take some of their signs into consideration, they are concerned about the environment or healthcare, sympathetic to their wives or daughters’ rights, or just flat-out embarrassed that a reality TV star is about to climb into the highest and most noticeable position in our nation.
La Cher, a march volunteer dressed in a black coat and pink “pussy” hat was armed with a megaphone and Badass Women = Badass World sign. Her job was crowd control and to keep the chants toward the back of the crowd going. Although, there were several speakers of color and a mix of ages, races, sexual orientation, and sexes in the gathering, she encouraged the African American community to get even more involved. She said, “I appreciated being part of the March. We need more women of all races in all our communities to stand up and unite. I was disappointed with the lack of participation from women of color. This is our time to unite, raise up and support each other. Moms, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters — rise up and be heard.”
Organizers estimated close to 3,000 participants gathered around the base of the Lee Statue and then walked the wide avenue, seven blocks to the cross-section of Boulevard. There, Donald McEachin, among others like Jennifer McClellan, spoke with the crowd.
One of the organizers, Kristin Richardson, had kind words for the creator and lead organizer of the March, Beth Papas Fuchs. Richardson said, “Beth is a force for good, her intentions are selfless, and her work ethic is unmatched. Richmond is forever grateful. Let’s all keep doing what we can every day to meet a complete stranger, say hi, look them in the eye, learn and appreciate our differences, show respect that all deserve to have the same rights, stand up for one another, and spread our love. Peace be with you!”
Saturday, January 14th, was not a typical Saturday in Richmond, Virginia. The sky may have been overcast, but the people outshone themselves and the hope for unity goes marching on and on through the streets of RVA.