#WMWArt by Deborah Stein (@bonbonoiseau on Instagram)
America Ferrera, Patricia Arquette, Cher, Chelsea Handler, Scarlett Johansson, Padma Lakshmi, Debra Messing, Julianne Moore, Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Olivia Wilde, Constance Wu, and Zendaya, are just a few of many celebrities that have joined the March on Washington’s Artist Table, according to a press release.
The march will take place in Washington D.C. on January 21st, 2017, with more than 100,000 people expected to be in attendance.
“Since the election, so many fear that their voices will go unheard,” said Artist Table Chair Ferrera. “As artists, women, and most importantly dedicated Americans, it is critical that we stand together in solidarity for the protection, dignity and rights of our communities.”
“Immigrant rights, worker rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, racial justice and environmental rights are not special interests, they affect us all and should be every American’s concern,” Ferrera added.
Held on the first day of the new presidential administration, the Women’s March on Washington aims to send a message to all levels of government and the incoming administration: that we stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families and their communities.
‘It is my duty as an American citizen to exercise my rights, make my voice heard and stand up for what I believe in,” said actress Scarlett Johansson, in the release. “The new administration may be very vague about specifics, but one thing has been made very clear; their intentions of reducing the availability of Women’s Healthcare and attacking her reproductive rights.
“I am marching on Washington to let our next president know that we, men and women alike, will not stand down or be silenced and will fight to protect our bodies and our choices,” Johansson added.
The Women’s March on Washington has also inspired nearly 300 other ‘sister marches’ to take place on Jan. 21. All 50 states and Puerto Rico are confirmed to have at least one grassroots-led march on that day, as well as 55 global cities on six continents, from Tokyo to Sydney, Kenya to Paris to Bogotá.
Each march will have its own program, from music and speeches to a rally at a suffragist’s grave in upstate New York, to a verbal “human mosaic” of people in Napa Valley sharing their vision for the future. In Maui, the march will begin with a moment of silence followed by a Hawaiian blessing. In Birmingham, Ala., marchers will gather at the 16th Baptist Church, an iconic civil rights site. In Berlin, the march, to be held Jan. 20, will end at the Brandenburg Gate.
The cities with the largest number of march registrants so far include Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Boston, Denver, San Francisco, New York, Austin and Minneapolis/St. Paul. But even marches in small and non-coastal cities are gaining momentum as well, in places such as Topeka, Nashville, Des Moines, Oklahoma City, Columbus, and Phoenix.
“We’re excited that women across the nation and the world are organizing to stand together in solidarity. Our unity will send a strong and clear message that women and our allies will protect our rights, our health, our safety and our communities,” said Bob Bland, a co-chair of Women’s March on Washington, in a press release. “These sister marches show a powerful and inclusive movement, which is just as crucial as the thousands who will travel to D.C.”
Read more about Bob Bland and why she got involved here)
For a complete list of the marches, or to find the march nearest you, visit the Women’s March on Washington’s sister march international directory or womensmarch.com.
DIVERGE also asked a few attendees why they were marching.
Theresa Trebon explained to DIVERGE why she is flying from cross country from Washington state to march: “Because this miscreant should never have been elected and I want him to know that I’ll be fighting his agenda of greed, narcissism, and hatred every step of the way.”
Carolyn Burke added that she is marching “for peace, love and equality.”
For those who are attending, please help the committee get a tentative headcount by registering here.
