Area women March on Roanoke to promote kindness

Meg Hibbert Contributing writer

Dozens of Salem area women expressed their concerns over the future of our nation and the need to be kind to each other as part of the 4,000-person-strong Women’s March on Roanoke on Jan. 21.

Sue Crenshaw held a sign that read “We the People – LOVE Trumps HATE and FEAR.” She went not as a statement against President Donald J. Trump, but “because I want to see a kinder, more inclusive America,” she explained. “Words hurt,” she said, referring to some of the rhetoric and divisiveness of the presidential campaign.

“We should all be kinder and more compassionate toward one another. A lot of people were there at the Roanoke march for similar reasons. It was about human rights across the board,” added Crenshaw.

Although she was not in the march to show opposition to Trump, she did say that “As the mother of a special needs son, I found his mocking of that reporter highly offensive” during the campaign, and hopes that the new administration will promote less polarization in the nation instead of more.

“I respect the people who chose not to march and I hope everybody will show that kind of respect to everyone. Whether people agree with it or not, we can all have a voice,” Crenshaw said. “For me, it gave me an opportunity to get out and show some love.”

Like Crenshaw many carried signs supporting the need for people of all backgrounds to get along, as well as women’s rights, equality and tolerance. Among the Salem residents who joined in the national swell of pink hats in Washington, D.C., over the weekend was Nancy King Porter, who marched with Dede Nuckols of Salem, and friends.

“We’re so glad that we participated in the Women’s March on Washington and hope that the message that these 500,000 women and men marched for will be heard and responded to by the new administration and elected representatives,” Porter said after returning.

“It’s a message of hope for embracing our diversity as a nation, and to work for the empowerment and equality for the human rights of all people.” Porter added that she and her friends were very emotional coming away from the Washington event.

Meanwhile back in the Roanoke Valley, an overflow crowd estimated at more than 4,000 women, men and children gathered at Elmwood Park.

Salem resident Cynthia Miller, who came back to Salem after 17 years in Pittsburgh, explained “I originally thought about going to D.C., but once I decided not to, thought it was important to show there were people here in Roanoke for whom this was important. I also knew it would make me feel better to be surrounded by people who felt the same.”

Miller continued, “I feel that while the popular vote certainly favored Hillary Clinton and we have to live with the Electoral College’s decision, there are many, many issues that I am going to disagree with the current administration – women’s rights, health care and diversity issues in particular.”

She added that what impressed her was in Roanoke “there were whole families. It wasn’t just women – there were men and children.”

“The organizers did a fantastic job,” Miller said. “The idea started out small and in the last week changed. Everything worked well. It was nice and happy. Two weeks ago when I signed up on the local Facebook page there were 250 signed up and on Friday there were 750. I think there were probably 4,500 in the amphitheater.”

Part-time Roanoke College teacher Katie Elmore said marching in Roanoke was “an opportunity to add my voice to the millions of other voices around the globe who are horrified by the rhetoric of hate in this past campaign. I marched against the blatant sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and bigotry that deserves no place in a country that values equality.”

She said the Roanoke march was positive and uplifting for her “and a chance to add my voice to a beautiful chorus of light and love. It was awesome to see people from all walks of life marching together to promote the kind of world where ALL people are valued equally.”

A number of the women carried signs or wore shirts proclaiming themselves “nasty.” The “Nasty” reference was Trump’s attack on Hillary Clinton during one of the presidential debates. Two of the younger Salem women who took part in the Roanoke March were 24-year-old Ruthie Greene and Roanoke College senior Taylor Briese.

Briese explained she took part because “First of all, it was a chance as a young historian to take part in a march and a movement that I hope will be remembered for decades to come. I wanted to be a part of this because I am someone who wants to hear all ideas and thoughts about the world. I did not agree with every idea that was represented at the march. But I do agree with the right for every one of those ideas being expressed in an open and loving format.”

She continued, “Lastly, I am a huge believer in love and that is what the march represented in my eyes. Loving diversity, openness and loving the ability that in the United States of America all are free to have an opinion and voice it. So I felt I had to be at the march to represent my pride to be an American and march with others who love America and what it stands for.”

Briese said she decided close to the time of the Jan. 21 march to participate. “I found a group of friends and mentors who were going and rode in with them. We spent the day together and had a great time. Getting together with a immensely diverse group of people, some of whom are my dear friends, rallying for the collective right to celebrate what we believe in and demonstrating that we are ready to fight for love and fight for this country.”

Green, who graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2015 and is working in a lawyer’s firm, said she wasn’t originally planning on going, either.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be like. Protests aren’t usually my kind of scene, and I didn’t want to be a part of something that was going to perpetrate divisive rhetoric. I wanted to go because it was important to me to continue to be a part of listening. That is what I have mostly learned about this election cycle,” Greene said, “How to listen to people who look like me, but think differently than me. I have learned that it is sometimes easier to listen to people who are clearly different than me in race, religion, or lifestyle. But it can be hardest to seek out people who are different than me, but look the same.”