NASHVILLE — Last year, more than 30,000 Tennesseans marched throughout the state in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington. On the anniversary of that first march, supporters from across the state will gather again on Saturday, Jan. 20, to march from Public Square Park to the Bicentennial Mall as part of the Women’s March 2.0: Power Together TN.
“The march in 2017 kicked off an important year of unity in our communities,” said Rep. Brenda Gilmore, chairwoman of event.
“But that was just the beginning. There is still work to be done, and we are focused on organizing our efforts to effect change. We’re marching in support of myriad social justice issues. There is no better event to foster a sense of belonging, create a space for learning and kick off 2018 with sustained meaningful action.”
Supporters will march for women’s rights, reproductive rights, LGBT rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, environmental justice, access to health care and more.
The march will begin at 2 p.m. and conclude with a rally from 3 to 5 p.m. The rally will feature multiple speakers, including Seema Singh Perez of the Knoxville City Council and Zulfat Suara of the American Muslim Advisory Council. Notable performers include Divinity Roxx, Nina Donovan and Nashville in Harmony. For route details and to RSVP, click here.
Before the march, Power Together TN will host a half-day conference focused on educating and empowering attendees to become engaged on local and state levels. Conference session topics are artivism, faith and spirituality, grassroots organizing, youth, legislative skills and issues, understanding elections, and a federal and gubernatorial candidate forum.
Several prominent organizations will host the sessions, including Emerge Tennessee, American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, Planned Parenthood, the Tennessee Immigrants & Refugee Coalition, Showing Up for Racial Justice, and Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter.
“The success of this year’s march is vitally important to continuing the work we started last year,” said Francie Hunt, executive director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood. “We are transitioning from a time of simply resisting the bad policies of this administration to proactively moving forward with our vision in which every woman, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability or citizenship, is able to care for herself and nurture her family free from structural impediments?”
The conference and caucus luncheons will be held at Tennessee State University’s Avon Williams Campus from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Full registration details and tickets can be found at tnpowertogether.org/events.
“The Women’s March is an opportunity to celebrate women and our communities, and to support the programs that raise women up, which results in stronger cities and a better Tennessee,” said Darlene Leong-Neal, Women’s March coordinator for Tennessee and event co-chairwoman.
“This moment is so much more than a time to protest. With the addition of a conference this year, we are devoted to giving women the tools to be active citizens and outspoken advocates for their own well-being.”
For a full schedule of events, as well as tickets to the conference and caucus luncheons, visit tnpowertogether.org.
Women’s March anniversary events are also set for Knoxville, Memphis, Johnson City, Chattanooga and UT-Knoxville.
