Our activist movements in the United States have a terrific legacy of utilizing walkouts as a powerful, loud, disruptive form of protest. On January 20, the actual anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Women’s March jumped in. They’ve coordinated a national “Free America” walkout against their collective communities’ civil rights and liberties being under attack.
The initiative aimed to showcase that Americans can mobilize strongly in response to attacks on their rights, bodies, and livelihoods. It’s a picture of an incredible day—over 600 events were planned all over the country, all happening at 2 pm local time. Local groups organized unique “walkout” events within their communities, encouraging participants to leave their jobs and schools to voice their concerns.
This new wave of walkouts channels the energy and spirit of past movements, like the 1968 East LA Walkouts. An estimated 15,000 students walked out in those protests, which were focused on ending discrimination within the educational system against Chicano students. The 1968 protests behind those demands ignited one of the most passionate movements for change. Consequently, Spanish-language instruction and Chicano history were woven into public school curriculums in the following decades.
The impact of the East LA Walkouts extended beyond curriculum changes. They contributed to an increase in the percentage of Latino teachers in schools. Furthermore, in 1990, William R. Anton became the first Latino superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, marking a pivotal shift in representation within educational leadership.
The upcoming Women’s March on Washington event will be an attempt to capitalize on this historic groundwork. Movers & Shakers Organizers view the walkout as a “stress test” for their movement, to gauge what’s possible through collective action. Rachel O’Leary Carmona, deputy director of the Women’s March, put a point on this mobilization with prophetic leaders’ words.
“We’re trying to see what we can do as a movement and what we need to continue to build on so that we can achieve the goals that we want to achieve, which is obviously driving fascism back away from American democracy.” – Rachel O’Leary Carmona
In Houston, participants organized walk outs from schools and places of employment to educate and advocate face to face with their elected officials. This new, participative approach is part of a larger, national strategy to spur active civic participation among Americans.
The Women’s March is preparing for an incredible walkout. They’re collaborating with Dana Fisher, a sociologist from American University, to gather and analyze data about participation levels and demographics. This will enable us to understand how effective the walkout has been as an activism tool.
“This is the most engagement in action we’ve had in our organization’s history.” – Rachel O’Leary Carmona
Carmona remarked on the necessity of exploring various methods of mobilization:
In this, the Women’s March doesn’t just want to march, they want to motivate millions of Americans to action. By utilizing a historical method of protest, they hope to create a ripple effect that encourages ongoing engagement in civic issues.
“We really felt like it was important for us to have a mobilization that tested some additional tools in the toolbox.” – Rachel O’Leary Carmona
The Women’s March aims not only to protest but also to inspire further activism among Americans. By utilizing a historical method of protest, they hope to create a ripple effect that encourages ongoing engagement in civic issues.