By: Kamrin Baker
Downtown Omaha saw a sea of red on the afternoon of Sunday, March 10. And, no, it wasn’t a Husker fan gathering.
In fact, it was a fan-favored spectacle in itself: the Omaha Women’s March.
The Women’s March has become a tradition in the feminist community since the inaugural March in 2017, just days after President Trump was sworn into office.
This year’s march looked a little different from the previous two, as it took place two months later in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Each march has taken on a specific theme or cause. Since the Omaha group departed from the national organization, the Omaha organizers shifted from the national theme of ‘the women’s wave,” to a local emphasis on murdered and missing indigenous women in North and Central America, asking participants to wear red.
“Those of us wearing red are standing in solidarity with our sisters to show that they are protected, recognized and honored here today,” Emcee Michelle Troxclair said. “Thank you for supporting.”
Folks of all walks of life joined together near City Hall to listen to speakers and amp up as a community to march through the streets.
UNO-affiliated speakers were emcee and UNO alum Troxclair, UNO student and tribal leader Lilly Tamayo, UNO assistant professor Ferial Pearson, and alum Keshia Bradford.
“People think that who we are is a crime, punishable by removal of civil and human rights,” Pearson said. “I am here to tell you that being Muslim is not a crime. Being an immigrant is not a crime. Being a person of color is not a crime. Being LGBTQIA is not a crime. Being a woman is not a crime.”
