Community A First Protest: Women’s March on Washington Rani Wilder, Baltimore, MD This was my first protest march ever and I knew I had to do this, to be with like minded women who believed in basic human decency. It was truly a wonderful and eye-opening experience. Naturally we found the best place at the rally, the community gardens! The kale and spinach held up strongly as we chanted “Garden! Garden!” and people tried to gently avoid the plants. We sang, chanted, danced and screamed with gusto. Everyone there was kind and helpful even as we were squeezed at times by the massive crowds. People were friendly and appreciative of each other, it was extra special when I caught that meaningful and confirming gaze of a brown person. I was in awe of this peaceful yet outspoken protest and thrilled to be a part of it. Just Delicate Needles It’s so delicate, the light. And there’s so little of it. The dark is huge. Just delicate needles, the light, in an endless night. And it has such a long way to go through such desolate space. So let’s be gentle with it. Cherish it. So it will come again in the morning. We hope. -Rolf Jacobsen (translated by Robert Hedin) I Am the People, the Mob I am the people—the mob—the crowd—the mass. Do you know that all the great work of the world is done through me? I am the workingman, the inventor, the maker of the world’s food and clothes. I am the audience that witnesses history. The Napoleons come from me and the Lincolns. They die. And then I send forth more Napoleons and Lincolns. I am the seed ground. I am a prairie that will stand for much plowing. Terrible storms pass over me. I forget. The best of me is sucked out and wasted. I forget. Everything but Death comes to me and makes me work and give up what I have. And I forget. Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red drops for history to remember. Then—I forget. When I, the People, learn to remember, when I, the People, use the lessons of yesterday and no longer forget who robbed me last year, who played me for a fool—then there will be no speaker in all the world say the name: “The People,” with any fleck of a sneer in his voice or any far-off smile of derision. The mob—the crowd—the mass—will arrive then. -Carl Sandburg Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Splimm Team Jenn Lauder is a media maker, content creator, community builder, and marketing strategist in the cannabis space. Se has a decade of experience as a progressive, anti-bias educator in independent and public schools and spent five years at nonprofits offering services and advocacy for children and families. Jenn is half of the founding team of Weekend Review Kit, a cannabis review and lifestyle site; has written for numerous print and online media outlets; and directs marketing and advocacy efforts for an herbal products company. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University and attended graduate school at Harvard University and Goddard College. Of Jenn’s many jobs, her favorite is being a mama to her nine-year-old daughter. Share This Previous ArticleCompassion, Conversation & Action Next ArticleBoston Will March February 2, 2017