# data[].attributes.headline
"Change and revolution were never supposed to be easy, convenient, or comfortable."

# data[].attributes.subject
"Change and revolution were never supposed to be easy, convenient, or comfortable."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It isn't that I was against the core ideals of the march, or sided with those who thought it was just a bunch of feminist nonsense. I very much recognized the need for the united front against a new administration whose policies stand to infringe upon the rights of women, people of color, immigrants, the disabled and members of the LGBTQ community. And yet, I still had deeply complex feelings about how I, as a black immigrant woman, fit into the equation.

Black women tried to save us. Ninety-four percent of black women voted against Trump. They showed up at the polls and then, after 53 percent of white women voted us into the situation we're in today, black woman showed up again, in droves and in solidarity. Putting aside the fact that not all of us worshipped Hillary Clinton, or resonated with phrases like "nasty woman" and "pussy grabs back," black women showed up again.

From an office in NYC, I watched via live-stream as Janet Mock spoke out about the need for taking real action, and Janelle Monae created space for the Mothers of the Movement to chant their slain son's names, and Angela Davis reminded us that "history cannot be deleted like web pages," and I felt inspired.

I felt equally inspired to see white, Latino, Asian, indigenous, Muslim, undocumented, sexual assault survivors, queer, trans and disabled people take the stage to speak out about the importance of intersectionality and diversity. It may have looked like the very worst of SJW Tumblr to those against the march, but to me it looked beautiful. It looked like America.

There's real work to do, but it won't get done if we don't, as a collective, support each other in all our struggles, not just the one's that are trending.

And yet, at the same time, it didn't feel good to see the numerous signs that centered feminism around having a vagina, harmfully excluding trans and nonconforming protestors. It didn't feel good to know that just days before the march, Janet Mock had to call out the organizers for removing a line she'd contributed to the march manifesto about the need for recognizing the rights of sex workers. It didn't feel good to see Madonna, a woman who never really apologized for publicly using the n-word, stand on the same stage as my heroes, joking cavalierly about blowing up the White House in a way that few women of color would ever dare to do.

Days before the protest, writer and activist Jamilah Lemieux announced that she'd be skipping the march for reasons that resonated with me on a deep level. For Color Lines, she wrote about being tired of black and brown women having to routinely put their own politics aside in the name of unity.

"I'd like to see a million White women march to the grave of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth or Audre Lorde," Lemieux wrote.

Even though Lemieux opted out of the march, there were many black women present who participated while also bravely calling out the same issues she wrote about. In one iconic photo that quickly went viral on social media, a black women held up a sign reading "Don't forget: White women voted for TRUMP."

Some people aren't happy about the way women of color are expressing our mixed, sometimes negative feelings about this latest surge in feminist organizing. Ahead of the march, amidst controversy about dueling ideologies amongst organizers, writer Emma-Kate Symons complained about how the feminism she grew up with was being "reduced to a grab bag of competing victimhood narratives and individualist identities jostling for most oppressed status."

"Can't we rise above the sniping about 'privilege,' 'white feminism,' 'intersectionality,' and hierarchies of grievance in the face of Trump and the dangers he poses to the American and international liberal world order and women everywhere?" Symons wrote for Women in the World.

Black women are entitled to our anger and frustration. We're entitled to call out white women even as we join them in protest. Change and revolution were never supposed to be easy, convenient, or comfortable.

It's exactly reactions like that one that made me, and so many other black and brown women, feel torn about the Women's March.

This isn't the Oppression Olympics, but black women are entitled to our anger and frustration. We're entitled to call out white women even as we join them in protest. Change and revolution were never supposed to be easy, convenient, or comfortable.

At the Washington march on Saturday, Gloria Steinem said, "If Trump creates a Muslim registry, we will all register as Muslims."

That's a beautiful sentiment, but it's one that needs actual follow-through. If we're not careful, the concept of "intersectionality" will go the way of "diversity," becoming an empty and overused phrase by people who think saying it or talking about it is tantamount to actually integrating it into their lives. The march was an encouraging beginning, perhaps even a cathartic one. But there's real work to do, but it won't get done if we don't, as a collective, support each other in all our struggles, not just the one's that are trending.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
march on washington for jobs and freedom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why I Had Mixed Emotions About The Women's March

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It isn't that I was against the core ideals of the march, or sided with those who thought it was just a bunch of feminist nonsense. I very much recognized the need for the united front against a new administration whose policies stand to infringe upon the rights of women, people of color, immigrants, the disabled and members of the LGBTQ community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., as well as other cities across America and the rest of the world. It was a day of unbridled expression, empowerment and inspiration-from the homemade signs that protestors waved in the air to the powerful speeches given at the rally by influencers such as Gloria Steinem and Madonna. Here, the best quotes said by the Women's March speakers.

"Our dignity, our character, our rights have all been under attack, and a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America. And we are here to stay." -America Ferrera

"God may be in the details, but the goddess is in connections. We are at one with each other, we are looking at each other, not up. No more asking daddy. We are linked. We are not ranked. And this is a day that will change us forever because we are together. Each of us individually and collectively will never be the same again." -Gloria Steinem

"President Trump, I did not vote for you. That said, I respect that you are our President-elect and I want to be able to support you. First, I ask that you support me, support my sister, support my mother, support my best friend and all of our girlfriends, support the men and women here today that are anxiously awaiting to see how your next moves may drastically affect their lives." -Scarlett Johansson

"Our pussies ain't for grabbing. They're for reminding you that our walls are stronger than America's ever will be. Our pussies are for our pleasure. They are for birthing new generations of filthy, vulgar, nasty, proud, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh-you name it-for new generations of nasty women. So if you a nasty woman, or you love one who is, let me hear you say, hell yeah." Ashley Judd reciting the words of 19-year-old Nina Donovan from Middle, Tennessee

"I woke up this morning and the [Washington Post] headline read, 'Trump takes power.' I don't think so. Here's the power. Here's the majority of America, right here. We are the majority." -Michael Moore

"Welcome to the revolution of love. To the rebellion. To our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny. Where not just women are in danger but all marginalized people. Where people uniquely different might be considered a crime. It took us this darkness to wake us the fuck up... I choose love. Are you with me? Say this with me: We choose love." -Madonna

"Today, we're here to deliver a message: We're not going to take this lying down... For the majority of people in this country, Planned Parenthood is not the problem-we're the solution." -Cecilie Richards, president of Planned Parenthood

"We will not allow our bodies to be owned and controlled by men in government or any men anywhere for that matter. We will not allow our compassionate souls to get stepped on. We want the best for all Americans. No hate. No bigotry. No Muslim registry. We value education, healthcare and equality." -Alicia Keys

"They came to this town yesterday. They had red hats on. They were proud of their accomplishment. And they thought they had taken America back. What they never counted on was a million women in pink hats that are going to take America forward." -Van Jones, CNN political commentator

"Yesterday, Donald Trump was sworn in as president. That sight is now burned into my eyes forever. And I hope the same is true for you - because we will not forget. We do not want to forget. We will use that vision to make sure that we fight harder, we fight tougher, and we fight more passionately than ever - not just for the people whom Donald Trump supports, but for all of America." -Senator Elizabeth Warren

"Let us fight with love, faith and courage so that our families will not be destroyed. I also want to tell the children not to be afraid, because we are not alone. There are still many people that have their hearts filled with love. Let's keep together and fight for the rights. God is with us." -Sophie Cruz, 6-year-old immigration activist

"We recognize that we are collective agents of history and that history cannot be deleted like web pages... This women's march represents the promise of feminism as against the pernicious powers of state violence. An inclusive and intersectional feminism that calls upon all of us to join the resistance to racism, to Islamophobia, to anti-Semitism, to misogyny, to capitalist exploitation... The next 1,459 days of the Trump administration will be 1,459 days of resistance." -Angela Davis, author and civil rights activist

"It was woman that gave you Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was woman that gave you Malcolm X. And according to the Bible, it was a woman that gave you Jesus. Don't you ever forget it." -Janelle Monáe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Most Inspiring Quotes from the Women's March Speeches

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., as well as other cities across America and the rest of the world. It was a day of unbridled expression, empowerment and inspiration-from the homemade signs that protestors waved in the air to the powerful speeches given at the rally by influencers such as Gloria Steinem and Madonna.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The mission of Women's March is to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change.

# data[].attributes.headline
"If there was intersectional unity, I failed to see it."

# data[].attributes.subject
"If there was intersectional unity, I failed to see it."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maybe I had my hopes up too high when the Women's March on Washington released a platform so great for reproductive justice, economic justice, racial justice, criminal justice, and gender justice that the Huffington Post lauded it a "Beautifully Intersectional Policy Platform" and Slate called it "Unapologetically Progressive." Maybe I was wrong to expect white folks to fight for me when they enthusiastically chanted "This is what diversity looks like" while carrying signs ranging from "Love (not hate) makes America great" to "Hate has no home here."

However, if there was intersectional unity at the Women's March on Washington, I failed to see it. Rallying for four hours on the corner of Independence Avenue and 7th St. SW with over 500,000 self-identifying feminists from across the United States created in and of itself a microcosm of white feminism that I thought would be suppressed  -  even just for one day for the sake of racial harmony.

Maybe I was wrong to expect white folks to fight for me when they enthusiastically chanted "This is what diversity looks like."

I understand that the crowd can get weary after standing for hours on end in the cold with no room to move forward or backward. I understand, too, that they can get antsy when they came to march but the speaking program went over by an hour and a half. In spite of what supposed to be an incredibly inspiring moment for me in seeing black and brown folks leading the movement, it quickly turned sour by the impatience and disrespect from white folks throughout the rally.

If there is an article about seven ways you can tell whether or not you are a white cisgender able-body feminist, it was written at the Women's March.

1. Did you chant along when we chanted "Black Lives Matter"?

2. Did you think it was nice to hear from the Mothers of the Movement but felt uncomfortable when Janelle Monáe asked you to say the names of victims of police brutality in "Hell You Talmbout"?

3. Did you cheer for Cecile Richards and Ilyse Hogue but turned your back on Jessica González-Rojas, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, and Monica Simpson?

4. Did you chant "March, March, March" over Angela Davis but were just so excited to hear from Madonna?

5. Were you the white woman who upon seeing the sign "Asians 4 Black Lives" lamented loudly, "But our lives matter, too"?

6. Did you repeatedly ask a group of Asian folks, "But really, where are you from?"

7. Did you walk over and push aside people in wheelchairs because you wanted to be at the center of the March?

With 58 percent of white people who voted, voted for Trump, if you did not come to the Women's March to listen and learn from people of color, what did you come here for?

When your feminism and liberation are not only rooted in but thrive on my oppression, you are not my sister and I do not stand with you.

As I write this, I know that the Women's March on Washington is a historic and uplifting event for many people. Many were politically activated for the first time because they saw their lives and the lives of the people they love on the line. Many will take actions, sign petitions, donate, and even run for office. I'm not trying to take this moment away from you. Continue to stand up and fight back.

However, I know this much is true: when your feminism and liberation are not only rooted in but thrive on my oppression, you are not my sister and I do not stand with you.

Intersectional white feminists, come get your sisters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
march on washington for jobs and freedom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Unpopular Opinion About The Women's March On Washington

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maybe I had my hopes up too high when the Women's March on Washington released a platform so great for reproductive justice, economic justice, racial justice, criminal justice, and gender justice that the Huffington Post lauded it a "Beautifully Intersectional Policy Platform" and Slate called it "Unapologetically Progressive."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
 Cameron Russell on Instagram: "This was the most important sign at the #womensmarch. We have work to do. (via @eboneedavis)"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
3,225 likes, 67 comments -  cameronrussellJanuary 22, 2017 on : "This was the most important sign at the #womensmarch. We have work to do. (via @eboneedavis)". 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cameron Russell (@cameronrussell)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Women and men taking part in the Women's March on Washington share their thoughts on president Donald Trump, and why they decided to protest. The crowd in Washington, estimated at hundreds of thousands, filled at least six city blocks of Independence Avenue, with more people spilling into side streets and additional marchers pouring into the area

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Voices from the Women's March on Washington - video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Women and men taking part in the Women's March on Washington share their thoughts on president Donald Trump, and why they decided to protest.

# data[].attributes.body
Women all around the globe unite to protest for women's equal rights.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I urged women of the world to join the fast growing Women's March on Washington (WMW) in my Nov 15 blog - a week after the U.S. election - I could not have foreseen the scale of international support or the newly galvanized women's movement that would evolve by the start of 2017.

Today the march is set to be the largest global human rights demonstration in history as hundreds of thousands of women and men plan to take to the streets on January 21, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration as the President of the United States. As well as the leading national march in Washington DC and another 200 U.S. city marches, there are also at least 50 cities in 30 other countries participating with more registering each day for the Women's March Global (WMG) - the international network of WMW.

But less than nine weeks ago, within hours of the presidential election on Nov 8, the WMW was a mere seed of an idea posted on Facebook by Hawaiian grandmother, Teresa Shook, who simply said: "I think we should march." So how did this grassroots movement strike such a universal chord? Since becoming more involved behind the scenes of the march planning, I've had the privilege of working with some of the original national and international organizers and seeing up close how things have taken shape.

WMW co-founder and global march coordinator, Evvie Harmon, recalled the first hours after seeing Teresa's idea following the election result:

For the first 48 to 72 hours it was growing exponentially. It was insane and Teresa said: 'Evvie, you know I think it's a wonderful idea but it's just me in Hawaii. Can you help?' I was like, I've never mobilized anything larger than my own state to march in my state. I've never mobilized anyone to DC, but I think what we can do is try to motivate people in their own portions of the United States to mobilize themselves. I immediately created a South Carolina event page for the Women's March on Washington and I sent it to her. I said I am going to mobilize my state to DC and I'm also going to get some sister marches started.

Within days, news of the march went viral on Facebook. During the first week, organizers connected and mobilized - tens of thousands of American women signed up on the national Facebook page to march on the capital. As many more were signing up at a growing number of marches across the US, the first overseas sister rallies were already being mooted as a core group of global organizers formed: Marissa McTasney (Canada), Karen Olson (Switzerland), Kerry Haggerty (UK), Rebecca Turnbow (Australia), and Brit-Agnes Svaeri (Norway).

By now, the national march was well underway and gaining momentum fast, soon settling on a march name and attracting a formidable team of co-chairs: Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, Tamika D Mallory, Carmen Perez, and more recently appointed honorary chairs, Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte.

Meanwhile, emotions were also running high across the world as Trump's win fueled the rhetoric of far right groups, particularly in Europe, and horrified those who oppose them. The WMW was becoming a global symbol of resistance, garnering international support. The weeks to come would see at least another 20 countries come on board, from New Zealand to Sweden. March tool kits were sent out to help women with the practical logistics, messaging groups formed, and weekly Skype calls enabled all global organizers to update and support each other.

Now taking the lead on the global coordination effort is the Women's March On London. One of the first and largest sister marches to be planned, the London march has forged strong partnerships including: the Women's Equality Party, Amnesty International, Unite the Union, The Equality Trust, and Scientists for EU. Following Brexit and widespread political disillusionment in the UK, some felt the country was ripe for a rally of this kind.

London organizer, Emma McNally, said:

Donald Trump's election really felt like the last straw. The Women's March on Washington was just starting up and within a couple of days a group of women in London had found each other to start one here. We immediately started to contact organizations, groups, individuals across all areas of social struggle: poverty, misogyny, racism, the environment - wherever people are fighting back against inequality and injustice. We have encountered wholehearted enthusiasm and support from all quarters to unite and to form an alliance.

International coordinator and London organizer, Kerry Haggerty, has been overwhelmed by the growth and unity of the movement. She said:

Women across the world are stepping up, lending their time and their talents to be a part of this global movement; to unite and be a powerful voice in opposition to all the hate and divisiveness and to make a stand defending their rights and the rights of others.

Each international march will have its own autonomy, character and distinct motivations for taking to the streets but some themes are common. Although many view this as a protest against Trump, the US national WMW is keen to stress the marches and movement are not anti-Trump per se but a proactive stance on women's rights and empowerment across healthcare, economic stability, political representation and safety. Protecting the Paris Agreement on climate change and defending human rights for all are also high on the global agenda.

There is still much work to be done in the coming weeks and beyond, but in two short months thousands of women from diverse backgrounds across the US and the world have united to ensure all our voices are heard. Together, we have created an international network of peaceful and inclusive marches but also an invaluable resource we can build on for the future of the planet.

Evvie Harmon sees the movement holding together well after January 21, providing ready made networks for local, national and international campaigning. She said:

"Let's get out. Let's roar. Let's be loud and let's not go away."

Looking for an international march to attend on January 21? Check out these Facebook pages: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Auckland, New Zealand; Barcelona, Spain; Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Edmonton, Canada; Frankfurt, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; Heidelberg, Germany; London, England; Malecon, Mexico; Oslo, Norway; Ottowa, Canada; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; St. Johns, Canada; Stockholm, Sweden; Sydney, Australia; Toronto, Canada; Vienna, Austria; Wellington, New Zealand; Jalisco, Mexico. New marches are being added every day. If you cannot find the city/country you are looking for check the interactive map on the main WMW website, or start a march of your own by emailing sisters@womensmarch.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How The Women's March On Washington Has Gone Global

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When I urged women of the world to join the fast growing Women's March on Washington (WMW) in my Nov 15 blog - a week after the U.S. election - I could not have foreseen the scale of international support or the newly galvanized women's movement that would evolve by the start of 2017.