What Democracy Looks Like

On January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration, I joined 250,000 people marching in downtown Chicago – and hundreds of thousands of people around the world – to give voice to a variety of issues in danger of being overlooked or subverted by the new regime in Washington. Women’s rights, gay rights, human rights, black lives, religious freedom, immigration, freedom of the press, healthcare, gun safety, global warming, education… these are not solely women’s concerns. They’re issues with the potential to impact every man, woman, child, animal, and plant on our planet. They are worthy of our defense.

It was a beautiful day, and heart-warming, as mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, husbands, and brothers came together in peaceful solidarity against campaign promises about to become real. Armed with thousands of colorful signs making the case for each cause, the marchers challenged our leaders to listen and truly represent. The moment was optimistic, and has already inspired more people to action in response to a new POTUS than any other time in history. Here are some of my favorite shots from that day.