Making the Women’s Marches count

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

Along with the millions of U.S. citizens who joined the Jan. 21 protests, Charles City women made their own marks on history that day.

Darci Tracey, Lori Gassman and Jody Osier brought four of their daughters to Washington D.C. to witness the Women’s March on Washington for themselves, they said.

“This just seemed like democracy in action — and this amazing experience my daughter Addison could share with me,” Tracey said. “It seemed to be really positive and powerful, and it was those things. I just wanted her to be a part of that and see me exercising my rights.”

Charles City resident Susan Strong joined three friends in Des Moines to march on the Capitol lawn as part of the Iowa chapter of the march.

“It gave me lots of hope. I was very concerned that our country might be going a different direction than I think it should, but I was very hopeful,” Strong said. “There were families, there were little kids and big kids, all different types of women. Just how friendly and peaceful everything was, that was really impressive.”

Strong was motivated to join the march in response to how President Donald Trump has staffed his presidential cabinet, she said.

“I’m an educator, and I do not like this Betsy DeVos (education secretary nominee),” Strong said. “I didn’t like her (confirmation hearing) answers … She didn’t know a few things that anybody in education knows.”

Previously, Strong had joined marches against the Vietnam War and gun violence in the U.S., and attended President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

“I think it sends a message that people have the right to express themselves, and this is one way to do it,” Strong said.

Tracey, Gassman and Osier decided at the start of December to attend the D.C. march with their daughters, and used the trip to start a conversation about rights and democracy with the girls.

“We had conversations with them ahead of time about what the march was, what other people were going to be there, and some of the sights and sounds might be,” Gassman said. “They were prepared for that and took it in stride as the day went along.”

“Obviously that number of people, that’s not something they had ever experienced. I don’t think we had any real comprehension of what that was going to look like,” Osier said.

In D.C., the day started in the metro station, where protestors filled up the trains singing songs like “This Little Light of Mine.” Arriving at the scene, the Charles City group marched “until we couldn’t move any farther,” Tracey said.

Organizers of the march reported so many people attended, the crowd couldn’t walk anywhere, because there was no empty space.

“It started immediately and did not end until the train ride home. It was hard not to cry the entire day, it was so emotional,” Osier said.

Although the marches are over for now, the D.C. group is still thinking through the things they saw — and continuing those conversations with their girls. The Women’s March organizers have published pieces like “10 Actions in 100 Days” to encourage participants to stay engaged. Tracey, who said she marched in support of equal rights, is using those steps to move forward.

“I feel like we continue to process,” Tracey said. “It was such a big experience, truly a life-changing experience. Because of that, it’s hard to really understand everything we experienced. How do we move forward and what do we do with this information? … It really is a lot to consider.”

“We’ve definitely taught (our daughters) that it doesn’t matter how old they are, they have a voice,” Gassman said. “I just want for my children to grow up and be kind, compassionate, strong people, and I want them to do it not only for themselves but for those around them … As long as we continue to look out for each other, we’ll be OK. I think the Women’s March definitely showed that while we were there.”

“Stand up for your beliefs,” Strong said. “I was very hopeful. It was friendly, it was peaceful and it was hopeful. That’s kind of what we need, is more hope.”

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