January 21, 2017 was the first official day of the new administration, a massive display of resistance, and the largest global protest in history to date. An estimated 4.8 million people around the world stood as one in the face of what is potentially the most oppressive regime the United States has seen in the last 150+ years. South Carolina was no different. Thousands showed up for Columbia's Sister March to the Women's March on Washington at the State House, as well as a Rally and Strategy Summit, hosted by the South Carolina Progressive Network, at Music Farm in Columbia.
Various local musicians warmed up and energized the gathering crowd inside with protest songs before the rally began at 10am. The venue had reached full occupancy capacity by 10:30, and the crowd was growing outside as the Women's March made its way from the State House to Music Farm. For approximately the next hour, hundreds of people stood outside, despite the increasingly heavy rain, to show solidarity with protesters and activists worldwide, and hear inspirational messages, like the one below, delivered by speakers from SC Progressive Network and their partner organizations.
Dr. Akan Malici: The Idea and Reality of America
The Strategy Summit, which was also hosted at Music Farm by SC Progressive Network, kicked off the afternoon at around 1pm. Discussed were ways to build a strong, popular movement with enough momentum to effect change locally. The overall message was that our own political landscape must change at home to have an effect on a larger scale. The summit began with a panel discussion, then broke into individual caucuses to discuss more specific issues. These included Voting Rights and Government Reform, Faith Community, Workers' Rights, Environment, LGBTQ Rights, Racial Justice, Women's Caucus, and Immigrant Rights. (For more information, videos, and photos from the Rally and Strategy Summit in Columbia, SC, please visit South Carolina Progressive Network.)
Saturday, January 21, 2017 proved to be an historic day and a monumental step forward for the progressive movement locally, nationally, and internationally. Thousands of concerned citizens showed up here in South Carolina, and millions more around the country and the world, to stand together and show that we are not going to go quietly into this alarming and uncertain future. Barely a week in, the new administration is already making bold moves toward fulfilling some of its most divisive, abusive, and oppressive campaign promises. Now is not the time to wait and see what happens. Those who have paid attention to history already know what is going to happen. This is the time to stand together, build strong local movements, and act as one for the good of our own communities, our country, and the world as a whole.