By Kellyn Vuchetich
March 22, 2021
The Lincoln Women’s March took place virtually on Saturday afternoon via Zoom and Facebook Live. The inability to gather in person didn’t keep the organization from hosting a joyful celebration complete with singing, dancing, prayer and party whistles.
This year’s theme was celebrating black women and their diverse contributions to society. Prior to the event, I spoke with president of the Lincoln Women’s March Pastor Janet Goodman Banks. She said that after initially considering recycling the lineup from last year’s march, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, committee members decided to design a program that honored black women, who turned out in great numbers to the November 2020 election.
Since the first Women’s March after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the movement has experienced tremendous growth. “Women took to the streets in 2017, not only in this country but around the world,” said Pastor Banks. “This has been the largest movement in history, so we want to celebrate. Everyone has worked hard since 2017 to obtain the results that we saw in November of 2020.”
The Lincoln Women’s March became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020. Despite this victory, the organization struggled with the loss of funds usually earned from in-person donations at the annual event. This year, they requested donations through PayPal and are selling tee shirts that commemorate the election of the first female and first black vice president, Kamala Harris, until Thursday, March 25th.
This year’s speaker lineup featured a number of black women who are influential in politics, the arts, and activism, both locally and nationally, including finance director for the Nebraska Democratic Party Precious McKesson, Georgia Representative Nikema Williams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and candidates for Omaha Mayor Jasmine Harris and Kimara Snipes, among others. Musical performances were provided by professional violinist Meredith Ezinma Ramsey, Angelia Onuoha, and Lee Smith.
One of the common themes shared amongst speakers was the value of practicing authenticity as a black woman. “I remember very vividly when I first got started in politics and was going to launch my first campaign, someone suggested that I should run under the name of Nikki instead of Nikema to hide my real name in the hopes that voters wouldn’t notice that they’re electing a black woman to represent them in the state senate,” recalled Representative Nikema Williams. “These people might have meant well, but they were literally asking me to erase my identity.”
Several of the speakers also named and celebrated women who had influenced or supported them, whether they be grandmothers, friends, or strangers. KaDeja Sangoyele of the Black Leaders Movement, who spent this past summer on the front lines of Black Lives Matter protests in Lincoln, paid tribute to the matriarchs of her family. She ended her speech with an inspiring call to remember black women. “Remember black women everyday, in every choice that you make. Remember that we have feelings, remember that microaggressions hurt us, remember that we deserve to be paid what we are worth, remember that our hair is not offensive, remember that our bodies don’t need to be sexualized, remember that black women are strong and they are soft as well. They are vulnerable. They are kind, and they are light, and they are beautiful.”
When asked what the next steps are for the organization this year, Pastor Banks said they will begin planning for 2022 while continuing their work helping women to become involved in the civic process. “We’re always encouraging women to vote, to run for office,” said Banks. “Regardless of political party, we need women to run for office. So after this year’s event, we’re always planning for the next year. But in the in-between those are the things we’re doing. We’re trying to engage women to run for office and to get involved, whether it’s working on campaigns, registering people to vote, things of that nature.”
Next year, the Lincoln Women’s March hopes to meet in-person for another spirited celebration.
For those who missed this year’s event, a recording remains available on the Lincoln Women’s March Facebook page.
The Lincoln Women’s March took place virtually on Saturday afternoon via Zoom and Facebook Live. The inability to gather in person didn’t keep the organization from hosting a joyful celebration complete with singing, dancing, prayer and party whistles.
This year’s theme was celebrating black women and their diverse contributions to society. Prior to the event, I spoke with president of the Lincoln Women’s March Pastor Janet Goodman Banks. She said that after initially considering recycling the lineup from last year’s march, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, committee members decided to design a program that honored black women, who turned out in great numbers to the November 2020 election.
Since the first Women’s March after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the movement has experienced tremendous growth. “Women took to the streets in 2017, not only in this country but around the world,” said Pastor Banks. “This has been the largest movement in history, so we want to celebrate. Everyone has worked hard since 2017 to obtain the results that we saw in November of 2020.”
The Lincoln Women’s March became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020. Despite this victory, the organization struggled with the loss of funds usually earned from in-person donations at the annual event. This year, they requested donations through PayPal and are selling tee shirts that commemorate the election of the first female and first black vice president, Kamala Harris, until Thursday, March 25th.
This year’s speaker lineup featured a number of black women who are influential in politics, the arts, and activism, both locally and nationally, including finance director for the Nebraska Democratic Party Precious McKesson, Georgia Representative Nikema Williams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and candidates for Omaha Mayor Jasmine Harris and Kimara Snipes, among others. Musical performances were provided by professional violinist Meredith Ezinma Ramsey, Angelia Onuoha, and Lee Smith.
One of the common themes shared amongst speakers was the value of practicing authenticity as a black woman. “I remember very vividly when I first got started in politics and was going to launch my first campaign, someone suggested that I should run under the name of Nikki instead of Nikema to hide my real name in the hopes that voters wouldn’t notice that they’re electing a black woman to represent them in the state senate,” recalled Representative Nikema Williams. “These people might have meant well, but they were literally asking me to erase my identity.”
Several of the speakers also named and celebrated women who had influenced or supported them, whether they be grandmothers, friends, or strangers. KaDeja Sangoyele of the Black Leaders Movement, who spent this past summer on the front lines of Black Lives Matter protests in Lincoln, paid tribute to the matriarchs of her family. She ended her speech with an inspiring call to remember black women. “Remember black women everyday, in every choice that you make. Remember that we have feelings, remember that microaggressions hurt us, remember that we deserve to be paid what we are worth, remember that our hair is not offensive, remember that our bodies don’t need to be sexualized, remember that black women are strong and they are soft as well. They are vulnerable. They are kind, and they are light, and they are beautiful.”
When asked what the next steps are for the organization this year, Pastor Banks said they will begin planning for 2022 while continuing their work helping women to become involved in the civic process. “We’re always encouraging women to vote, to run for office,” said Banks. “Regardless of political party, we need women to run for office. So after this year’s event, we’re always planning for the next year. But in the in-between those are the things we’re doing. We’re trying to engage women to run for office and to get involved, whether it’s working on campaigns, registering people to vote, things of that nature.”
Next year, the Lincoln Women’s March hopes to meet in-person for another spirited celebration.
For those who missed this year’s event, a recording remains available on the Lincoln Women’s March Facebook page.
Kellyn Vuchetich is a journalism intern with KZUM.
