Information, fellowship highlight second Women and Allies March in Cody

Posted 1/23/18

Hosted by Wyoming Rising- Northwest — a progressive grassroots organization of local citizens — the march was held loosely in conjunction with similar marches across the nation. The first Women and Allies March was held last January, a day after …

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Information, fellowship highlight second Women and Allies March in Cody

Posted

More than 300 participants from around the region descended on Cody’s City Park on Sunday for the Second Annual Women and Allies March.

Hosted by Wyoming Rising- Northwest — a progressive grassroots organization of local citizens — the march was held loosely in conjunction with similar marches across the nation. The first Women and Allies March was held last January, a day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

“While the numbers were strong, they were down a bit from last year, as were the other marches [Saturday]. But there was a lot of positive en- ergy, people made great signs,” said Harriet Bloom-Wilson, a co-organizer of the event and founding member of Wyoming Rising-Northwest. “We were very pleased.”

Like last year’s event, the march featured speakers on a variety of topics, including science, health care and immigration. They included Dakota Russell, museum manager at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, and

Sabrina King, policy director of the Wyoming American Civil Liberties Union. The pair addressed a proposed federal immigration jail in Uinta County that would house people who are suspected to have entered the country illegally — and how that issue correlates with the incarceration of Japanese incarcerees at Heart Mountain during World War II.

“Listening to Sabrina King shed light on the proposed detention center was a really good juxtaposition with Dakota, and the lessons we should have learned from Heart Mountain,” Bloom-Wilson said.

Mary Keller spoke on a proposed 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would overturn the Supreme Court decision known as Citizens United, insisting that corporations do not enjoy the political rights as citizens.

Noel Two Leggins, a member of the Crow tribe from Hardin, Montana, discussed Indian issues, and Bloom-Wilson said his was a perspective the march hadn’t had before.

“It was really touching,” she said. “He talked about what we all have in common, which is this land that we’re standing on; it was part of Crow country.”

Information tables were also set up from organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Northwest Family Planning and The Nature Conservancy.

“People were getting literature, asking questions, signing petitions,” Bloom-Wilson said. “And because we had the band shell, people came up at the end and came to the open mic and talked about their particular poster or what their passion was. There were also a lot of college and high school students, and that was just terrific to see.”

Wyoming Rising-Northwest grew out of last year’s march. That attendees made a point of participating in the second march is a testament to participants’ desire to enact change, Bloom-Wilson said.

“We’re an organization with a growing membership,” she added. “We’re doing not just marches, but also sponsoring forums, holding open meetings and different campaigns. Now we have a structure for it — it has to be more than a moment, we’re part of a movement.”

One of the chants during the march that became something of a mantra for the event dealt with encouraging marchers to make their voices heard at the polls.

“Now we march, but then we run,” Bloom-Wilson said. “We run, and we vote and we win.”

She called the march and similar events an opportunity to empower people to participate in democracy, regardless of party affiliation. Bloom-Wilson disputed criticism that the event was an anti-Trump rally or simply a gathering of women complaining about being oppressed.

“It’s not about oppression; it’s about equality, and a sense of parity,” she said. “Not being treated as objects, but being respected, or honored, or valued.”

A fair amount of marchers carried signs calling out the current administration, but Bloom-Wilson said the tone Wyoming Rising is trying to reinforce is one of, “How do we make things better?”

“We want to really act as responsible citizens who have voices and want to be heard,” she said. “We also want our representatives to hear us and respond to us.”

After last year’s Women and Allies March, Cody resident Jody Horvath organized a “Spirit of America” rally in support of President Trump. Horvath said Monday that there are no plans as of yet for a follow-up rally this year.

“Any future march that may occur would be solely to show support for our country, our president and the Constitution,” she said.

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