#StrongerTogether KC
Womens March Comes to Kansas City
Photos Courtesy of Alison Overcash
Seniors Alison Overcash and Andrea Ridout with their signs from the march.
February 1, 2017
Kansas City united with the nation and the
world in the Women’s March on Washington to stand up for the rights of all women on Jan. 21.
Several local news sources reported that there were 10,000 people in attendance, and police chief Darryl Forté confirmed there were more than 5,000 people in attendance.
Some Staley students were in the crowds that filled the streets of downtown.
“There were a lot of different causes and different signs. There was also intersectionality, where black people were for gay rights,
white people for Muslim rights, everyone for healthcare rights,” said junior Milkise Yassin. The march gained popularity through the
Women’s March on Washington in Kansas City Facebook page and @kcmarch2017 on Twitter, where they shared information about the event and shared different perspectives from the march through the hashtag
#StrongerTogetherKC.
A main focus of the march were the speakers who focused on different topics affecting women today. Some of the topics included sexual harassment, LGBTQ+ equality and disability rights.
“They were all very informative, and the audience seemed to love it. Their speeches were all very inspirational,” said senior Alison Overcash.
The march was peaceful, according to local news sources.
“Amazingly, as many people that showed up in Washington Park, there were no arrests,” said Sgt. Kari Thompson of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
The marchers brought signs, and news coverage focused on the signs and chants. Overcash attended the march with her grandmother, who was also a part of the protest against the Iraq war in 2003.
“When we were getting ready, she gave me
her old sign that said ‘Peace is Patriotic,’” said Overcash. “She said I could use the back of it to make my sign. It felt really special because we had both stood up for what we believed in.”
While many marchers participated to stand up for their personal beliefs, Yassin attended the march to experience history being made.
“My dad knew that this was a historic event, so he wanted me to experience it firsthand even if I wasn’t advocating for a certain cause,” said Yassin.
The Women’s March on Washington took advantage of the democratic freedoms of the United States to stand up for the beliefs and freedoms of women throughout the country. It was organized as a way to protest the recent election, rhetoric and actions coming out of Washington.
