In April 25, 2004, more than one million people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC, for the spectacular March for Women’s Lives. One-third of the marchers were under 25 years old — and many of them were teens like you! Read on to find out what they saw, what they felt, and why being at the march was a one-in-a-million chance to make their voices heard.
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Getting Ready
In the weeks and days before the March for Women’s Lives, teens from around the country were preparing:
- In Tucson, a group of teens in a Planned Parenthood advocacy group sold T-shirts and buttons to raise money for the trip.
- In suburban Chicago, Tara, an 18-year-old high school senior, tried desperately to find a ride to Washington.
- In San Francisco, Brynne, a 19-year-old who was headed to the march alone, signed up to volunteer.
- In Connecticut, 12-year-old Aden stood by as her mom, a delegation organizer, helped friends and neighbors find bus rides to the march.
Although they were all excited about the march, few of them really knew what to expect.
“I guess I expected it to be something like the ‘suffragettes,'” said Aden, who had just seen Iron-Jawed Angels, an HBO film about the fight to get women the right to vote.
Brita, a 17-year-old from Ann Arbor, knew to expect crowds and some “craziness,” thanks to stories from her activist dad. Some teens expected to chant slogans and carry signs. Others, like 16-year-old Vanessa, a junior from the Bronx, had no preconceived notions — she was going because she was curious.
What’s Your Sign?
When April 25 finally arrived, some teens got there early, like the teens from Tucson. Molly, an 18-year-old member of the group, remembered how it felt to witness the National Mall fill with hundreds of thousands of people. “It was cold in the morning,” she remembered. “But by the time the people filled in behind you, you couldn’t feel it anymore.”
Others arrived with the pre-march festivities already underway. “From the time we got off the bus,” said Aden, “we were bombarded with stickers and buttons and people really showing a lot of spirit.”
Monica, a 17-year-old senior from New York City, laughed as she saw a woman dressed up like a giant vulva, carrying a sign that read, “Hooray for reproductive freedom!” There were posters that said, “I dig pro-choice boys” and “I dig pro-choice girls,” and all sorts of people wearing T-shirts that proclaimed, “This is what a feminist looks like.”
Tiera, a 15-year-old sophomore from New York City, feared the march would get out of control with so many people, including the small groups of anti-choice activists on the sidelines. “But it was actually really calm,” she said. David, a 17-year-old senior from Michigan, agreed: “It was a really positive, peaceful experience.”
David was also excited to see so many men. “I went with my friend and we were thinking we were going to be the only two guys there,” he said. “It just showed us how this affects everyone.”
Tara, the senior from Chicago who finally found a ride with feminist group called Chicago Area Women Warriors, was struck not only by the number of men, but also by the wide range of people she saw. “What I loved was that there were all these different kinds of people — young women banging on pots and drums, students in lab coats with signs that read, ‘We are tomorrow’s abortion providers,’ gay rights groups, mothers for choice.” She added, “Everyone got there in totally different ways and came from totally different places, but they were all there for the same thing.”
Coming Together
Most teens felt a great sense of community. Daniel, a 17-year-old from New Jersey who marched alongside his older sister, said, “I felt at home there.”
What brought together such a diverse group of more than a million people together was the right to choose — to make choices about birth control, pregnancy, and staying healthy, as well as the right to choose abortion. Tiera, who says she’s been pro-choice for as long as she’s known what it meant, said, “It’s all about choice. You can’t take away a woman’s choice. It’s her body.”
Monica felt the same way. “I remember reading about when abortion was illegal, and about Roe v. Wade, and when I look at the history, I know we can’t just stay at home and be quiet. We’ve got to let them know that we, the people, want choice.”
Tara said the issue went even deeper than choice. “How are we going to become equal if we don’t even control our bodies?”
And while these issues affect women and men of all ages, it was especially important for teens and youth to stand up and be counted. “I think it’s important for youth to witness this historical march and to understand that their voices do matter,” said Brynne, “even if they can’t vote right now.”
For Aden, who is still in middle school, changes in reproductive rights like access to birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion may not affect her right now, but they will in the future. She explained, “My mom had heard a woman speak before the march who said that her 11-year-old daughter’s entire reproductive life would be affected by these changes.”
Tanaz, a 16-year-old peer health educator from New York City, felt that the youth presence there was vital. “It shows that we know about the subject. We aren’t ignorant about it, as many people think.” Sharing that knowledge was another reason to go, said Brita. “Youth and teens have such an influence on other young people. We’re the ones who are going to be making a difference in the long run.”
The Future Is Pro-Choice!
After the march, many teens returned home covered in stickers and buttons and carrying a renewed sense of purpose. Some had made new connections, like Brynne, who met a woman in her 50s who had opened one of the first feminist bookstores in Washington. (The woman later sent Brynne an early 1970s edition of Ms. magazine and a postcard signed by Angela Davis, a famous black feminist.)
Some came home armed with a new understanding. “I used to think, ‘Yeah, I’m pro-choice,'” said Tanaz. “But now, after the march, I really am pro-choice. Now I have the reasons to back it up.”
For Vanessa, the march was her first experience with the issue of reproductive freedom. “I didn’t know too much about where I was going and why, but when I got there, I started to really pay attention.”
For Daniel, who says he’s always been passionate about the right to choose, the march brought his activism to another level. “Before, if my sister wasn’t there, I would not have given up an entire weekend for a march like that. Now, I would go back in two seconds if they held another one.”
The March for Women’s Lives was truly a landmark event. For many teens, it was also a personal landmark — their first march, their first time in the nation’s capital, and — especially for those too young to vote — their first political act. The impact of their presence did not go unnoticed. Speaking onstage at the march, Gloria Steinem, one of America’s most celebrated feminists, recognized the huge number of youth and teens who joined the march: “Let’s never again hear about how there are no young activists!”
For more information and photos about the march, check out the Planned Parenthood Web site.
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