I was on one of the many school buses that headed off the island last Saturday morning toward the Women’s March. For me, spending the day with that crowd that stretched from Judkins Park up 4th Avenue to the Seattle Center was life-changing.

The crowd was full of mostly young people (which filled me with hope), but older too; families with kids in strollers and up on shoulders; and many men, some in military uniforms or union jackets and caps. There were placards that were funny, serious, clever, critical, sarcastic and, yes, more than a bit irreverent at times. My favorite was a young Muslim woman standing on a corner whose sign offered free hugs. I came home happier than I’d been in weeks. A “women’s” event emphasizing women’s many current, valid, frightening concerns unique to them was a good first step. But as progressives learned in the hard lessons of the past election, the power of this movement to grow in significance will hinge on its ability to step away from narrow identity politics and be totally inclusive in the concerns of all races, genders, persuasions, beliefs … every walk of life. We can’t allow last Saturday’s march to dissolve into merely a remarkably memorable world event. Who better to inspire the first baby steps of a powerful movement that champions love, trust, respect, fairness, honesty, compassion, truth, kindness and peace but a group of over 5 million of the world’s citizens: women? Hard work lies ahead.

— Nancy Sipple