The Women’s March on Washington made history on January 21 as over one million people of all genders, races, religions, and abilities came together to walk and make their voices heard. Along with many others, various Castleton students, faculty and staff took to the streets to participate and join in the more than 600 sister marches across the country and the rest of the world.
“The kind of energy you feel from being surrounded by a million other people who feel very similarly to you and are there for the same reasons is a feeling you can't explain except to say it is both grounding and like flying at the same time,” said Emma Blaiklock, a senior Social Work major from Woodstock, Vermont who attended the march in Washington D.C. “I spent the day crying, laughing, singing, yelling, chanting and just watching. The speakers, the people around me and the whole feel of the day was safe, warm and welcoming to everyone.”
Blaiklock described the crowd as empowering and passionate about a variety of different causes including climate change, reproductive rights, prisoners rights, Native American disregard, immigration, religious biases, and racial, gender, and sexual orientation inequality.
Senior Louis Alhage was also able to attend the march in Washington D.C. and experience the energy of the historic event first-hand.
“We could only march for a couple of blocks because there were so many people that took up the whole course already,” said Alhage, who throughout the day held a sign that read “Unite Against Hate.” “We walked until we couldn’t move anymore.”
Those unable to make the trek to Washington D.C. were invited to join other Castleton community members and fellow Vermonters to march locally in Montpelier, Vermont. A bus departing from campus took more than 20 people to Vermont’s capital to participate in the historical event.
“It was emotional and empowering to be surrounded by so many women and men who were standing up and standing together for civil human rights,” said Associate Director of Creative Services Kate Richards.