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woman raising her hands in victory
woman raising her hands in victory
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What It was Like to Be Part of the Women’s March in Boston

Talia Santopadre
Emerson Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.

I would like to preface this piece by saying that this is not something I would usually do, or even write about. When faced with this opportunity, I felt that I needed to jump at it, and share my experience with everyone.

I learned about Boston’s Women’s March through an email sent out by Emerson that explained the march and its route. After reading the email, and being upset with the outcome of the election, I thought that it might be interesting to participate, but something stopped me from committing to the idea right then. I had never been to a protest or march, and I was not sure if it was something I should be going to. I disregarded the email and went about my day. But that night, something in the back of my mind was nagging me to go look at the email again. I did, and through reading it a second time and thinking about what I believe in, I turned to my roommate and asked if she would go with me. Together we decided that this was something we needed to do.

   

Walking up to the Boston Common the next morning, I was faced with one of the most surreal sights I’ve ever experienced. The mass amount of people, both young and old, that were standing in the Common with signs held above their heads was jaw-dropping. Having never been to a protest, as I’ve mentioned before, my roommate and I didn’t really know what to expect. I remember turning to Kate and saying, “Oh my gosh, look at all these people,” failing to realize that I was only seeing a small portion of the people who were there.

    

Kate and I wove through the crowds and tried to push as close to the front as possible, but we never even really got close. She and I were caught up in the moment, amazed by all of the people that came out to support all the causes that we felt so strongly about. We were especially amazed by the number of people with signs that were more creative than anything I, a Writing, Literature and Publishing major, could have come up with in such a short amount of time.

        

Once the speeches (that we could hardly hear over the cheers of the people surrounding us) were over, Kate and I pushed our way to the exit of the Common, which, from where we were originally, took us about an hour. As we were finally crossing the threshold into the street, a couple pushed through us against the crowd. On their way past they mentioned that they had been at the front of the march and had already finished, before most of us had even left the park.

    

Now, out on the street, Kate and I marched alongside fellow women, men, children, people up on balconies and roofs, and busses filled with people who had traveled to Boston to be part of the march. With every step I took, I felt more and more empowered and liberated. I read the signs made by my fellow marchers and listened to the chants started by the passionate, loving people who surrounded me. It was truly liberating.  

        

As the march progressed, Kate and I found ourselves drawn into the chants; into the moment that we were living in. For the first time in the past few months, I felt a connection between myself and the larger Boston community.  

    

Nearing the end of the march, Kate and I turned to one another, and almost in unison, said, “I’m so glad we did this.” For me, it was the experience of a lifetime. It was peaceful and helped people find a sense of where they were in the community. Everyone who was there supported their fellow marchers, and they were joined by common beliefs. To be a part of this historic moment, one that was originally only supposed to be attended by 60,000 people and ended up being over 200,000 strong, was undeniably one of the best moments of my life.  

    

For those of you who were unable to attend, I hope that you do not lose your support for the causes that we are fighting for. Just because you did not march does not mean that you are any less supportive than any of the rest of us who were able to partake in this amazing experience. By standing together, we get to show the world how strong we really are, and I would like to personally thank each and every person who, whether you marched or not, stands up for the rights that we are all fighting for. After all, THIS is what democracy looks like.

        

        

        

Talia is the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus at Emerson. Talia is also a Chapter Advisor, Region Leader, and HSA Advisor. She has previously worked as an intern for the national headquarters of Her Campus in the community management department. Talia is a Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in a 4+1 combined bachelor's and master's program in publishing. She is an aspiring writer and publisher. Talia is known for living life with her journal, a pen, and three lovely cats.
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