Today—March 8th, 2017, International Women's Day—women throughout the globe are going on strike. They are not protesting Trump and his army of racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic supporters specifically; according to a mission statement published in the Guardian, today's goal is to oppose the steadily deteriorating conditions for all women, "especially those of women of color and of working, unemployed, and migrant women." This reality wasn't ushered in overnight, with the election of a buffoonish demagogue—it's the result of decades of policies that undermine women, and women's labor in particular.
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In honor of today's protests, and of the ongoing struggle, here is the collected wisdom of some of the amazing activists and politicians we've spoken to over the past year, during Trump's rise to power and in the aftermath of his election. Our fight is ongoing, and their reflections—on resistance, on bravery, on getting involved—may prove invaluable.
"Courage is not fearlessness. Courage is the ability to keep going, even when you are unsure of yourself, even when you are nervous, and even when you are terrified. If you can still fight when the odds appear to be against you, and when it looks like you might be fighting it alone, then you are genuinely brave."
Photo by Arun Chaudhary
"I want people to be mad as hell. Be mad as hell and work toward something. Find an issue and find a candidate that you believe in."
Photo courtesy of Laura Hinman
"They want us to cower and run the opposite way. But that's not our way. We will not let these feelings take over. We will stand strong and smile… We are facing the same beast our ancestors have faced for hundreds of years. I feel this fight in my bones, in my blood. I was born to be here."
Photo courtesy of Wendy Carillo
"There are levels of severe disappointment and apathy. A lot of people want to give up, but this is the exact opposite moment to give up. We need more young people, more people of color, and more women to step into leadership roles. And we don't need to be tapped on the shoulder or ask for permission—we just need to do it."
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"[My 13-hour filibuster against Texas' omnibus anti-abortion law] was such a symbolic representation of what can happen when we get so pissed off that we literally start screaming about it… It speaks to the power of what can happen when we fight for our values. Even when we lose, good things happen in the process."
Photo by Olivia Paschkes
"If you understand racism as a system and an historical phenomenon—instead of happening in a vacuum—it's easier to empathize, it's easier to understand, and it's easier to combat because you know what you're fighting."
Photo via Wikipedia
"Try to do something practical, something that's going to make a difference—but there's a risk. Without taking the risk, you won't ever get anywhere."
Photo courtesy of Mariame Kaba
"We should take care of each other and help each other out. It's not an individual pursuit. Everything in this county is so fucking individualistic and so rooted in capitalism I can't stand it… I just see it as my life. Just like, organizing is my life, and part of the rent that I pay to live on this planet."
Photo courtesy of Planned Parenthood
"To be a movement, you need to have people moving."
Photo by Kim Raff
