On January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of a new president, over 5 million people gathered in cities across the globe for the Women’s March on Washington. Although the march was originally conceived of by white women and was given the name “Million Women March,” its leadership soon shifted to have women of color in the majority, with Tamika D. Mallory, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland as national co-chairs. It was, according to some sources, the largest protest in the history of the planet. Images of sister marches held everywhere from New York City to Sydney, Australia, flooded digital media. Do-it-yourself (DIY) signs hastily constructed with Sharpies, glitter, and cardboard exhorted viewers to “Free Melania” and “Keep Your Politics off My Pussy.” Marchers wore jeans, parkas, and elaborate costumes, and groups conducted tightly choreographed collaborative performances.
The march arrived in the wake of many other uprisings,...
