Reflect & Resist
The feminist movement has a complex history. It is a powerful movement that has gained monumental victories, yet one cannot speak about feminism without acknowledging the dismal lack of representation for, and at times an active sidelining and silencing of the issues facing women of color, women with disabilities, sex workers, low-income women, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Women's March is committed to learning from this history in order to guide our collective work with an intentionally intersectional approach. The ways in which oppressive institutions are interconnected and perpetuate oppression cannot be examined separately from one another. When we examine issues of oppression in silos, people fall through the cracks and into the margins. We commit to focusing on those cracks and margins. In doing so, we strive to unfurl an umbrella under which individually powerful movements - racial justice, gender justice, disability justice, labor justice, and more - can unite, with a collective emphasis on the people and communities that are so often left behind or treated as an afterthought. We ask you to commit to this as well.
Action five is designed to educate some, and refresh others, through study, reflection, and courageous conversations, so that we can all be empowered by, and learn from, the work of activists who came before us, while being mindful not to perpetuate the mistakes of the past. Community is key to activism, so bring your huddles, neighbors, and your march partners back together, collectively choose a book or article to read, or film to watch. Take time to reflect and, together, discuss the topics that they highlight and the issues that women experiencing multiple forms of oppression have faced and continue to face. Below, we've selected five titles from each category to help you get started. We encourage you to choose a resource you feel will challenge you most.
During these reflections and conversations, we ask that you not assume shared knowledge. Highlight and celebrate the fact that those in the room may come from a wide array of political and activist backgrounds. Some of you have been doing this longer than others - and that's okay! Start by sharing your knowledge in order for everyone to gain a deeper understanding and perspective of what we are up against. We are preparing ourselves to organize in accordance with the lessons of the past and the principles we hold.
Be sure to share your own book, article and film selections and let us know how you’re participating in Action #5. Use the hashtag #ReflectAndResist on social media.