By Zoha Qader '17
On Saturday January 21st, just a day after the inauguration, countries all over the world held Women’s Marches to stand in solidarity with the under-represented individuals in their communities. Many of Notre Dame’s current students and their families, faculty and staff chose to join Notre Dame alumnae participating in the march held in downtown San Jose. They embodied this year’s theme of respect by marching alongside other participants and standing up for social justice issues.
The marches in different areas were inspired by the Women’s March on Washington. Their mission: We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country. These sister marches were organized by volunteers around the world. This international movement is growing and planning future events that are in support of their progressive values. They held 673 marches around the world with about 4,876,700 participants.
Clara Igou ‘17 joined the group alongside her father. She mentioned, “I enjoyed it, because it was my first march with my dad. The march stated a message and I hope the community follows up the march with some action. It was incredible to see a diverse group of people all walking together for a similar cause. The pink hats were quite adorable although I didn't understand what they stood for until afterward. It would be great for them in the future to have volunteer opportunities in connection with the march that could benefit the community.”
The Notre Dame choir had the wonderful opportunity to perform at the end of the march. Although the group had performed at other public events, this was the biggest event they had ever taken part in. The group worked hard to choose the songs and make sure their performance was perfect. They performed “Brave” by Sara Bareilles, “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson, and even an acapella version of “Halo” by Beyonce.
Many students attended the march with their family and friends even though they didn’t join the Notre Dame group. Notre Dame students are always eager and ready to stand up for their values. By stressing the importance of social justice, Notre Dame has empowered women to stand up not only for their rights, but for the rights of the oppressed.
Click here to view our YouTube video of the Notre Dame Regent Harmonies' performance.