by Laura Meier, Co-President, Charlotte Women’s Movement
Photo by Lisa Stockton Howell
We knew that the Women United March (WUM) on January 25, 2020, was a success when our marchers, upon circling back to First Ward Park, started dancing. The positive flow of energy that kept building all day became an impromptu dance at the march’s end!
Thank you to WUM Co-Chairs Becca Bernstein and Atreece Bailey for their leadership on one of our best marches yet. And thank you also to our thoughtful and inspiring speakers who ramped up the energy level through their words. It was no small feat to bring this event to reality, and impossible without the planners, partners, speakers and volunteers who helped make it happen. Most importantly, we thank you and the thousands of others who attended, making your voices heard in a joyful and empowered manner. It was a phenomenal day!
So, how do we follow that? Though most of us have been hard at work since the marches began worldwide in 2017, our work for 2020 has only just begun. Over all, we want to focus on this year’s elections, which may be the most important of this lifetime.
From local to state to Senate to Congress to the White House, here are some powerful things you can do:
- First, find a candidate(s) to support. Canvass, phone bank and donate. Get outside your comfort zone. Please don’t wait until October to get involved; the time to act is now. Those we help elect can in turn help make changes for the equality and equity for which we marched.
- Pursue your cause, your passion, your yearning. Volunteer at the organization(s) whose causes resonate with you. Twenty-four partnering agencies were represented at our march, their info and contact info may be found by clicking here.
- Get Out The Vote (GOTV). One of the best ways to make change is to help with voter registration and encourage those registered to exercise their right. Visit You Can Vote and Swing Left.
- Volunteer with Charlotte Women’s Movement (CWM). We need new ideas, new energy, and hope you’ll join our organization. It’s free! Look us over and let us know how you would like to be involved, sign up by clicking here.
- Lastly, tell us those issues which CWM should develop programming. In 2019, we educated and advocated about immigration, affordable housing, economic mobility, gerrymandering, ratifying the ERA, and more. Please send your programming ideas for 2020 to info@charlottewomensmovement.org
Get Engaged, Stay Engaged
Use your power and the energy we shared on January 25 to make significant changes in 2020. Keep that momentum going, and rely on each other. No matter what happens in November, stay the course!
