Among several historic moments such as the swearing in of Donald Trump as President, The students and staff of Plymouth South and myself witnessed one more monumental moment before saying goodbye to the bustling city, The Women’s March.

January 21st, 2017, the day after the inauguration over 2 million women and men marched in cities not just across our country, but also across the world. In America many marched in protest of Trump, but really they were marching in favor of women’s rights. They targeted issues specific and broad like gender inequality or that with the Affordable Care Act; birth control would no longer be covered by health insurance.

However, this march was not just for women’s rights. It was for rights and equality for everyone despite their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion. To many it was a beacon of hope- and love- in a time that is filled with so much hate.

In each city there were speakers. In D.C. there were many activist, including Roslyn Brock the Chairman of NAACP National Board of Directors, and Bob Bland the Co-Chair of Women’s March on Washington. But there were also celebrities like the actor, Ashley Judd, who’s also a humanitarian, and a PhD student.

Many of the partakers in the march held signs that attacked Trump saying things like “Your Laws will destroy the Dreams of Millions” or “Make America Kind Again”. Many just held signs that promoted equal rights that said, “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance” and “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”.

Although some of the signs were graphic, the march was completely peaceful. It was a day filled with marches, speeches and love. A day when everyone who felt oppressed by their new leader or maybe their community around them could come together and celebrate the differences that make us all beautiful and the notion that we will all keep fighting until those rights are guaranteed.

Though the march was focused on women’s rights, men and women together marched for a number of issues as well. Including immigration, health care, environmental concerns, and education. And for many seeing this was a healing process.

Despite what any of our personal opinions might be, we can all agree that seeing millions of people peacefully exercise their rights the day after multiple violent acts during the Inauguration Parade was a patriotic feeling equivalent to seeing the peaceful exchange of power the day before.