Original Fuzz Goes To The Nashville Women's March
On Saturday, January 21st, America gave the middle finger to Donald Trump, politely. Crowds of thousands sprawling across the nation came together in a peaceful call-to-arms just one day after the inauguration of our oldest and wealthiest president—the first to hold office without prior governing experience.
As we debate whether these next four years will be a great American tragedy or a farce, we struggle to hold on to the ideals that built this nation. At least 3.3 million women, men, and children, peacefully chanted and marched down major city streets across the nation, creating the largest public protest in US history. They blocked intersections, covered up public squares, and stood in front of monuments and statues that once overlooked prior proud historical events.
We attended the Women’s March in Nashville, on this surprisingly warm January day. The rain held off as we made our way to the initial meeting point at Cumberland Park, just to the left of the Pedestrian Bridge, joining east Nashville and downtown. We didn’t know what to expect as we parked our bicycles near the foot of the bridge, though we quickly realized as the crowd grew larger, from a couple hundred to 15,000 people, we weren’t alone in this political nightmare.
Waves of emotion washed over us. We laughed with our neighbors at their hilarious yet poignant signs. We shed a few tears as we held up peace signs during a moment of silence. We felt proud walking past Hispanic construction workers looking on from the window of the building where they were working, knowing that this march wasn’t just for us, but for them, too. We shared camaraderie with our neighbors, in our community, in our city.
You may have participated in your own city’s march, or watched them all over the world from your home. You may not care, or may have found other ways to share in this particular narrative. Whatever you’ve done, or continue to do, these photos below tell 15,000 stories and are an important reminder that this next chapter is powerful, all-inclusive, and won't be silenced. All photos by Emily Quirk.
Emily Quirk is a photographer that has been documenting the Nashville DIY scene for a decade. She enjoys long drives across the country, exploring new cities, controlling the aux cord, and snacking on popcorn. Find her around town, or on the internet at emilyquirk.com, Instagram @equirk, and Twitter @quirkymind.