Isabella Alvarado, a fifth grader at Olmos Elementary, walks along with Erica Elizarraraz, president of Somos Chicanx, liberal arts major Jessica Lopez and criminal justice major Amanda Garza at NorthWest Vista, and Bianca Sapet, the staff program coordinator of student success at Northwest Vista March, 3 at the 28th International Women’s Rights March. Sapet leads her group along the march with the vision that “Women have a voice and should take a stand. Shamar Mims
Nontraditional Students Organization and empowerment center staff participated in the march.
By Andrea Moreno
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
More than 300 people participated March 3 in the 28th annual Women’s International March to demonstrate for equality, LGBTQ rights and an end to domestic violence among other causes.
March 8 is Women’s International Day. The goal of the march for many individuals who participated was the movement for women’s rights, equality and justice.
Men and women marched from Columbus Park going down West Martin Street as well as passing by River Center and the Alamo and going through the E Street and Commerce Street and ending the march on Milam Park.
The marchers chanted phrases such as, “We want justice; if we don’t get it shut it down!” and “We’re women united; we will never be divided!”
Venus Prado, senior adviser for student success, participated in her first women’s march.
Prado is part of the empowerment center at this college and carried a banner with this college’s name.
“I’m here to support for our students (and others) to have a voice,” Prado said.
Another participant was marching for the first time.
“I’m doing something better to march; this is my first time attending the march (and) anybody can do it,” Krystal Rocha, who is studying to get a GED before entering this college, said.
“I’m here to support the women; we’re strong and beautiful,” Rocha continued.
B. Rutherford, a Samuel Clemens High School freshman, attends her first Women’s Rights March with a sign she created March 3 at the 28th annual International Women’s March. Rutherford said she hopes these protest bring about a better future for women. Shamar Mims
Education freshman Shaquira Rice is part of the Nontraditional Students Organization at this college.
“This is my first march and it’s just not an everyday thing that you get to fight for women’s equal rights,” Rice said.
As the march became to an end, guest speakers Mariluz Resendiz and Andrea Fernandez spoke in Milam Park.
Resendiz, a women’s voting activist, said individuals who participated are “the generation of America, the ones who are going to create a change,” Resendiz said.
Resendiz spoke in favor for immigration.
“This country was built off immigrants,” Resendiz said as the crowd cheered.
Immigrants should not leave this country because “the country was built off immigrants,” Resendiz said.
Andrea Fernandez, public policy senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, found the march “very empowering.”
“We are the ones who (people) are waiting for,” Fernandez said.
“When I was 8 years old, I never imaged myself being here, I never envisioned myself as a leader. I always waited for someone to hear my issues, and then I realized my voice is power,” Fernandez said.
“I have attended the march on and off since 2000; it helps individuals see the issues toward women’s problems,” Bianca Sapet, coordinator of civic engagement in the office of student life, said.
Sapet said she will try to get more individuals from this college to come to other marches.
There were about five students and about two faculty members of this college participating.
