National Women’s March held in Tupelo brings locals together
Women's March in Tupelo held in conjunction with national marches in D.C. and across the country for women's rights.
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Rallying cries sounded as dozens of Mississippians marched for Women’s rights.
The National Women’s March in Tupelo, organized by Indivisible Northeast Mississippi, was part of a feminist march, ‘Our Bodies, Our Future’, that happened in Washington D.C., and many other cities around the country.
The march ended at Fairpark where influential speakers shared their vision for the women’s rights movement.
This event was important to women because it let them know that people were fighting for them said Peggy Rogers, the Women’s March state coordinator, chairperson of the Standing Committee Federation of Democratic Women, chairperson of the third congressional district, treasurer for Oktibbeha County Democratic Party, and team captain for the Democratic National Convention.
“Women across the country need to know that we are out there and we are fighting for women’s issues across the country,” Rogers said. “Internationally, as well as locally.”
Nannette Johnstone, an attendee, said having this event was big for Tupelo.
“To stand for something like this in this small town is just such a huge deal,” Johnstone said. “And I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
Cheikh Taylor, a speaker at the event, chairman of the state Democratic Party, and District 38 state representative said now is the time to get involved.
“This is the time to really get engaged,” Taylor said. “To make sure we’re championing women’s rights and the things that are concerning to women around the world.”
In addition to speakers, a few partner organizations showed up to support women’s rights.
Rogers said that personal autonomy is a key issue their movement is fighting for.
“Women have a right to be a part of America,” Rogers said. “We no longer take a backseat to other people making decisions for us, we can make our own decisions.”
Ty Pinkins, a speaker and US Senate candidate, said the goal is to move forward.
“We’re not going back to a place where women had to stand behind everybody else,” Pinkins said. “We’re not going back to a place where women had to ask permission to be women. We’re not going back to a place where women did not control their own bodies. We’re moving forward.”
Rogers said the message that young women should take away from this march is one of independence and aspirational growth.
“That you can do whatever you want to do,” Rogers said. “And you can be whatever you want to be, and you can climb to the highest rank. But in all of your climbing, take God with you.”
Johnstone added what she thought young women should take from the march.
“That your body’s yours,” Johnstone said. “And the decision is yours, and that you don’t need a man to tell you what you can and cannot do.”
Pinkins described what young women should do when facing adversity.
“There are gatekeepers out here, and many of them are men who are privileged,” Pinkins said. “Here is what you do when you see a man standing on the other side of that gate and he has a key, and he won’t unlock the gate for you: You take one step back, you kick the gate down on top of him, then you walk over the gate and you continue on your journey.”
The Tupelo march coincided with women’s marches happening in Jackson and Hattiesburg.
