*RING!!! RING!!!* My alarm continuously went off, and with every loud ring, I questioned if I should really march that day. I eventually rolled out of bed and asked my friends if they still wanted to go. One friend bailed and explained she had to study. I thought, I need to study too. We had a major histology exam approaching and had just taken biochemistry exam a few days prior to the event. My other friend sent me a message full excitement, stating how she was so could not wait. Well, I guess I’ll go. I had been planning this trip for weeks, so it wasn’t too hard to decide. I slipped into my alma mater sweatshirt, blue jeans and sneakers, gathered my things, and prepared for a day of protest in Washington, D.C. Since I had been studying constantly for the past week, I completely forgot to make my sign for the march. Because we had quite a few hours of travel time, I decided to complete it on the ride there. As I traveled to the march, I tried to avoid the anxiety surrounding the fact that I wasn’t studying. On the other hand, I remembered why I was protesting in the first place. I realized there were several reasons surrounding my desire to march for racial justice.
My friend, Dev, and I started our day at a local coffee shop to energize ourselves for a day of walking. We joined the march with coffee and signs in our hands. I know, we’re so basic.
But anyways… back to the march. There were hundreds of people gathered with clever posters and determination on their faces. We represented every minority with the subsequent words “Lives Matter.” As I began to walk the 5 miles, I thought about the lives of black, Native American, and Latino men taken by police brutality; the lack of assistance provided to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, the racial bias in the American education system, the openly racist white supremacists who gained confidence through the hate-filled rhetoric of the Trump presidential campaign, the thousands of individuals harassed and assaulted by these cruel groups of people, the NoDAPL protest, the residents of Flint, the systemic racism within the criminal justice system, and the events that occurred in Charlottesville. Dev and I shouted repeatedly along with the chorus, “No Justice, No Peace!” Ours words were full of excitement, but they lingered with the hurt and anger we had experienced observing the current events happening over the past year.
Here are some highlights from my day:
*side note: some of these pictures aren’t the best, but hopefully you can make out what’s happening.
In addition to raising awareness, we also experienced a beautiful tour of D.C. We started at Capitol Hill from which we worked our way around the D.C. area to the National Mall. Due to that high quality iPhone I have (thanks, Apple…) the picture is a little blurry.
Marches allow for other activists to meet and join forces. The protest event overlapped with the March for Black Women in D.C and granted us with the opportunity to interact with fellow activists, many of whom were strong, intellectual females. #thefutureisfemale
I don’t have a favorite sign, but this one made me chuckle. In case you can’t see it clearly, it states, “Not usually a sign guy but GEEZ.” I also like the sign beside it with the words, “Make America Think Again.” I feel this sign was more than just a pun. It depicts the mindless following of Trump and the constant ignorance of racism in America. I could go on about that, but I don’t want to digress.
Here is where we kneeled at the Trump International Hotel and shared a moment of silence for those lost in the fight for racial equality. Our silence spoke volume as some of us looked at the hotel while others dazed at the blue sky.
Protest is such a powerful way to display our freedom of speech and bring attention to the issues minorities face on a daily basis. Bystanders noticed and hopefully, learned more about the cause. It felt amazing to march in solidarity with others who wanted to stand up and speak out. I hope that we increased the visibility of the growing racial problems in American society. In the end, I marched for minorities across the U.S., for my siblings, for my future children, and for my future patients. I marched for my future. I marched for those who cannot change the color of their skin and have to deal with the consequences of being unable to do so. I marched for other dark skinned African American women and little girls who are too afraid to reach their dreams. I marched for myself. I marched for love.
In the future, I intend to also work in public health and defend those who don’t have access to proper healthcare, and it was here where I found that passion. Despite taking time off from studying, this was a day well spent.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Be sure to check out my other posts, including the one I did with Melissa on her blog, Futura Doctora. Head over to her page to learn about testing anxiety and 7 ways to handle it. There is more to come soon! Until then be kind and remember tomorrow depends on what you do today. Hope you enjoyed reading! – Taylor ❤️
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