Email mdilley@aaupaft.org to let the Union know you participated in this historic event!
Charlie's son gets a panorama!
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| Leisa w/ Marilyn in background |
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| Simone and Dave (who is a retired Detroit Teacher) |
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| Charlie |
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| Victor, Anne & Ashley |
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| Mark, Juliann, Tammy & Jackie |
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| Helen w/ Millie from Coalition of Labor Women (CLUW) and other Union members / Women International Peace & Freedom League (WILPF) & Unity of Livonia Peace Group in D.C. |
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| Michelle w/ friends in Washington D.C. |
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| Moira in Lansing! |
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| Helen w/ friends & family from the far midwest! |
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| Denise before boarding the bus to D.C. |
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| Great crowd shot from Mike! |
Dear Colleagues:
Last week, I sent a message to the Faculty and Academic Staff, to notify them of the March on Saturday morning (January 21st), protesting the deplorable messages of our new President Donald Trump. It was being planned and coordinated by Professor Sally Roberts, who provides leadership for the admirable organization, Go Girls. The appeal by Sally to come to the March was first to the supporters of the organization, and thence to kindred spirits. This program, that focuses on middle school girls, has the mission “to increase the competence and confidence of adolescent girls in the areas of problem solving and scientific thinking, by engaging them in experiences that promote an interest in and build capacity to pursue careers related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).” Go Girls, stands for: “Gaining Options-Girls Investigate Real Life.”
I had some concerns that the March would be poorly attended, and that perhaps notifying our members would help bring a respectable number out for the March. How wrong I was! When I came early to the Wayne State campus March site that morning, I was, what the British call, gobsmacked, by the gathering crowd. There were literally thousands of people there already (photo imbedded in e-mail and also attached). The crowd in front of the Undergraduate Library swelled to what I believe was something like 6,000 people. When the March took place, after a brief, uplifting speech by Sally Roberts, it stretched in a continuous line that girdled the campus from Warren and Anthony Wayne, past the Law School, across to Woodward Avenue, and back South to Warren.
I was struck by the number of children in the crowd, often wearing pink hats like their parents. Many of them will remember the March as their first involvement in political protest. I listened as one mother explained to her nine-year old son why a woman had a sign calling herself a “Nasty Woman.” Mother did a fine job; a great teaching moment.
As you know, there were huge marches all over the country, and internationally, in spontaneous coordination with the massive Women’s March on Washington. I am very pleased for the Union to have played a part in encouraging our members to come to Wayne State’s March. But the real credit for its organization goes to Sally Roberts and her Go Girls network. Her network received over 1,000 RSVPs.
In Solidarity,
Charlie
