The theme for our school last year was Equality. So when Monteverde participated in the international Women’s March yesterday, it was no surprise to see over 1/3 of our student body come out in support.
The march started at our school and went down to CASEM, where we sat on the lawn to sing and share a picnic. We were students, parents, teachers, members of the Monteverde Friends Meeting, community members, and visitors. We were women and men, children and adults (and dogs), brown and black and white, gay and straight… marching together, friends and equals, sharing the belief that human rights are for all.
The spirit of the day was positive. There were no police present. Nobody was angry. There were no anti-anything signs. Just affirmation of equality, strength and hope.
My own boy initially did not want to participate. He didn’t see the point. So in our First-Day School (teen program during Quaker Meeting on Sunday), we invited some adult Quakers in to join a discussion about the rally, women’s rights, and protests in general. By the end of the 45 minutes, every teen in the room was excited about coming, and deeply felt that their participation would make a difference.
The turning point for those teens was seeing the interactive map, showing the over 100 marches with almost 5 million people worldwide. They were excited to part of a worldwide statement of belief.
Thank you to Katy Van Dusen and everyone who quickly got Monteverde onto this map. As we try to support our students to find their values and their voice, I was proud to see so many of our students and families involved in this positive, Peace-full community event.
