Women’s March Conference in Detroit (Day 1)
I marched in the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017 (see https://sherorpen.info/category/womens-march-on-washington-2017/page/3/ for that story). So when the Women’s March announced they were holding a convention in October, I decided I’d sign up–and today was the first day of the conference.
This is being held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. I’m not sure how many people are attending. While the main hall hasn’t been full, all the breakout sessions I’ve attended have been packed, with some people having to stand in the back or sit on the floor.
I’m here with my friend Adair, who I’m working with in an Indivisible group at home in Fort Worth (check out our website at www.indivisiblewomentarrantcounty.org). We arrived and got checked in to our hotel last night and walked to the Cobo this morning, joining some other folks we encountered along the way.
We found the familiar signs that reassured us we were in the right place. After checking in at the registration table, we headed for the opening session.
It seems a hallmark of this group that everything starts late and this morning was no exception. The opening was scheduled for 9:30 but actually began at about 9:55. First up, acknowledgement that there were others in this land before us, the indigenous peoples. We’re all living on their lands, so acknowledgement seems appropriate.
Then we heard from some of the organizers as well as the woman who started the original “Me too” movement (10 years ago!), and Rose McGowan, who’s done so much to publicize it lately with the whole Harvey Weinstein situation. It feels like we may really be reaching a tipping point where women are refusing to defer, deflect, and be silent when they’re subjected to belittlement and harassment. Oh my gosh, that’s so overdue! Women know it’s just been a fact of life for us, and we’re now feeling empowered to at least start refusing to put up with it. The deck is still stacked against us, but that’s starting to change. Hooray!
There were a lot of breakout sessions to choose from for the four time-slots today. I went to “Coalition Building: Support Not Duplication” first. This was a really good overview of how organizations can form, find out about each other, and figure out ways to work together. The speakers were young (at least from my perspective!) but they all had years of experience in this space. Bravo.
Next was “Future(s) of Work.” Again, great speakers with experience in their fields. The inequities that exist in our working situations have a long history. From holdovers from slavery to the marginalizing of women to the present day, the “system” is rigged against lower-wage workers, who in large numbers are women. Bringing these situations to light and working to overcome the inequities is important, and organizing to do that is very important. Talking to each other, developing a plan, and getting local officials in office who will sign legislation to start correcting some of those inequities is a good plan and something very doable. But it won’t happen without diligent work, and keeping after it.
Third session I went to was “NRDC Action Fund, How to Win the War the Trump Administration is Waging on our Health.” I’m a monthly donor to the National Resources Defense Council, so this was of great interest to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear a lot about winning because the blitz of the multiple attacks on our environment at the behest of industry and corporations, but there are action plans and some successes. It’s just going to be a long haul. It was worth going just to hear from people who are engaged in the fight.
By this time, Adair and I had decided to skip the fourth breakout session and wander around to find something to eat. Lunch had been a sandwich and chips, and hadn’t been very filling! So we headed back to the hotel and then off to a restaurant.
Detroit is definitely a city that has “emptied out.” There are very few people walking downtown during the day, and not even that much traffic. It looks like a lot of buildings are empty, and there are very few restaurants or stores within the several blocks of the convention center area. We found a restaurant in another hotel (had eaten at ours last night) and ate at the bar (too early for the full restaurant to be open). Not bad.
Luckily we were just a half a block from our hotel because by the time we left the restaurant, it had started a light rain and we hadn’t brought umbrellas.
Adair decided not to go to the evening session, but I decided to brave the falling temperature and increasing rain and head that way. The main portion I was interested in was hearing from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Debbie Stabenow (MI), and Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (MI). Great speakers all, and women who fight for the right things and get things done.
I didn’t stay for too much of the last panel of the night, but did stay for the introduction of the panelists. Again, an impressive group of ladies who’ve been organizing for years. I think they’re finally happy to have some more energy in the movement now, though the price of getting that interest has been pretty steep.
A few blocks walk back to the hotel and I’m in for the night. Tomorrow is more breakout sessions, and we’ll hear from Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who first talked about what the conference theme is, “Reclaiming Our Time.” Looking forward to it!
