By Vicki Ross
Come join us Sunday, May 15 (1-3p.m.), to celebrate Victorious Women’s Month with a march and gathering that will foster universal Solidarity, rejoice in our Victories, and foster real Healing in ourselves and our community.
We’ll meet on Niagara Street at the intersection with Lafayette (please aim for 12:45p.m.) and march down Niagara (starting 1pm) to the foot of Ferry. We’ll gather in Broderick Park with speakers, performers, and a family area – all we need to celebrate, acknowledge, and validate wonderful victorious women in our community. We’ll also explore the vast and brewing injustices in our society – thus the need for Solidarity and Victory; as well as our paths to Victory and Healing.
Women – and all in our community – are in need of Solidarity, Victory, and Healing!!
Local sheros who’ll speak include Gail Wells, Cariol Horne, Betty Jean Grant, Gamileh Jamil, Talia Rodriguez, and many more, with spoken word and musical offerings interspersed. Children and youth will share projects, including PeaceJam Buffalo, and families are encouraged to enjoy the special Family Area. We’ll also start with a traditional Gnonyoh – Thanks-giving – from Jill Clause, Tuscarora.
The WNY Peace Center has organized the Women’s March since 2017, when 3600-4000 gathered in Niagara Square. The following year we had almost 5,000; then a blizzard cancellation followed by two years of 65mph galeforce winds – with hundreds still coming out!! We also held a Women’s March in 10/20 (with physical distancing), and a virtual march in 1/21 due to the Covid. This year Executive Director Deidra EmEl opted to celebrate during Victorious Women’s Month, the month of May – a great improvement. Each year the principles and the Spirit shine brighter.
Our mission statement, arrived by consensus of women community leaders in WNY, states: “The Women’s March of WNY, opposed to all forms of oppression, seeks to increase equity and equality for women and all oppressed people. We seek structural and systematic changes to our government and organizations in order to guarantee that all women have proper access to healthcare and are free from violence and hate. We believe this regardless of a person’s racial, economic, or citizenship status; and we value the dignity and humanity of women of color, women with disabilities, and lgbt/queer and gender non-conforming people, and everyone’s equal place in the movement and in society.”
For those for whom marching is not an option, please enter Broderick Park by 12:30p.m.. For marchers, if you can’t find parking near the starting point, additional parking is available on side streets and on Ferry if need be.
For more info go to wnypeace.org; our Facebook/event page; bit.ly/WMwny2022; or email womensmarch@wnypeace.org
Please join organizer the WNY Peace Center, host Riverside Salem Environmental Cottage, and our many cosponsors, including Bury The Violence, Citizen Action WNY, Coalition for Economic Justice, Indigenous Women’s Initiatives, Nekanehsakt: Friends of the Ekwehewe, Partnership for the Public Good, PUSH Buffalo, Stitch Buffalo, We Are Women Warriors, We Exist Coalition, WNY Drilling Defense, and more. Our Solidarity, Victory, and Healing will fortify our community!!