The Women’s March is now the People’s March, and groups working to oppose Trump’s agenda are highlighting specific actions volunteers can take.
By Candice Norwood and Jennifer Gerson for The 19th
Former President Donald Trump once again won a presidential election. Again, his opponent was a highly qualified woman. And again, intense rhetoric about gender and race defined his candidacy.
But for many who find themselves thinking about what it means to mobilize against MAGA, this moment feels very different from Trump’s first win in 2016. Then, it was pink pussyhats and the Women’s March, loud calls for public action, and visible outcry. Today, progressive leaders and policy experts say, things feel quieter, more contemplative, more focused on practical, on-the-ground community action—even as women, people of color, and queer people face real fears about their futures in light of a second Trump presidency.
A People’s March on Washington is planned for January before Trump’s inauguration by the same organizers of the original Women’s March in 2017. For some, this kind of public action doesn’t feel like an answer. March organizers, however, stress the need to mark the moment with some kind of highly visible collective action.
The organizing team behind the Women’s March and People’s March sees its work as much more holistic than a single headline-grabbing event. Many people who come to Women’s March events have never organized or protested, but want to do something to get involved, said Tamika Middleton, managing director at Women’s March.
“There is no lower barrier of entry than making a sign and coming to the march. There's no easier way to get involved and to get activated,” Middleton said. “It is an entry point for new people. And then we keep organizing after the marches.”
