Chicago, IL — Part of a nationwide groundswell that originated the day after the presidential elections, women and men from across the state of Illinois are preparing to join the national Women's March on Washington Sat., Jan. 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C. the day after the inauguration of the next president of the United States.
Illinois organizers Mrinalini Chakraborty, Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Amber Hummel, Julie List, Amanda Jane Long, and Amanda Drenth, have been coordinating the promotion and logistics needed to make sure those Illinoisans who want to attend the march in D.C., are able to. They are coordinating buses throughout the state that marchers can buy individual seats on ( through the RallyBus platform ), as well as organizing efforts for sponsored buses for those marchers in need of financial assistance.
"We realize that our rights are severely threatened and hard-earned progress in civil rights for women, people of color, immigrants, religious minorities, the disabled, the LGBTQIA community, and many other vulnerable groups, is in danger of being erased. We stand in solidarity with our partners, children, and allies for the protection and in defense of our rights, our safety, and our individual voices," organizers stated.
"As the Illinois organizers for the March, we invite all women and our allies to join this national effort and turn fear into direct, positive action by demanding protection of civil rights for all Americans," said spokeswoman Chakraborty. "It is our vision that the Women's March on Washington will be a springboard for action and will galvanize the hundreds of thousands of marchers to return to their local communities and participate in a multitude of local efforts directed at positive social change."
The work of the Illinois chapter has already been endorsed and aided by Chicago Women Take Action ( CWTA ), the National Council for Jewish Women - North Shore, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, among other organizations and local advocacy groups.
The national efforts have been lauded and supported by organizations such as Amnesty International, National Organization for Women ( NOW ), The Gathering for Justice, CHIRLA, 1199 SEIU, and many more. The Illinois organizers are calling for partnerships and community allies to help with a wide range of support, including but not limited to: getting the word out through meetings and social networks, sponsorships/donations for marchers who need assistance to go to D.C., and forming a statewide network of support and resources for our Illinois marchers.
The next public meeting for the group is Wed., Dec. 28 at: Rainbow PUSH, 930 E. 50th St., Chicago, at 6:30 p.m.
The hashtags for social media are: #wmwillinois #womensmarch, #whyIMarch, #hearourvoice.
On Twitter go to: @womensmarchIL and Instagram: @womensmarchillinois. Download flyers for printing here: goo.gl/10wuqw .
For more information on Illinois-specific efforts, find the official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/wmwillinois/ .
For more information about the Women's March on Washington itself and the national efforts, go to:www.womensmarch.com .
About The Women's March on Washington:
The Women's March on Washington, began in response to the divisive rhetoric of the past election cycle, which demonized and threatened the rights of women, immigrants, the LGBTQIA community, survivors of sexual assault, and various other religious and ethnic minorities. This is a grassroots effort comprised of dozens of independent coordinators at the state and local level. The effort is helmed by four National Co-chairs and a National Committee of organizers who are working around the clock to make this march a success and send a bold message to the new administration on their first day in office.
The Women's March on Washington will start at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Third Street SW, near the United States Capitol, at 10:00 AM on January 21st, 2017. There will be a march ( with a route that will be released in the upcoming weeks ) followed by a rally. A program featuring nationally recognized advocates, artists, entertainers, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and others will be announced in the coming weeks, as well.
