InIt Students Perform at the 2019 Boston Women’s March
On January 19, YW Boston joined the 2019 Boston Women’s March: Until All Voices Are Heard at the Boston Common. The march, organized by March Forward Massachusetts, provided a platform to focus on the ongoing work of those who fight daily for equity and justice. Three current InIt students, Ikraam Mohamud, Miranda Graves, and Isabella Brooke performed on the Boston Common stage. Among the first to perform, their poem and calls to march fired up the crowd of over one thousand.
YW Boston worked alongside a number of organizations and activists across Massachusetts to organize the 2019 Boston Women’s March as part of their Steering Committee. In addition, YW Boston hosted a pre-event for attendees to make signs, enjoy tea and coffee, and march together to the Boston Common. A number of supporters, returning and new, joined to stand for YW Boston’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Following a welcome message from indigenous activist Mahtowin Munro from United American Indians of New England, Ikraam, Miranda, and Isabella took the stage as the morning’s second group of speakers. They performed a spoken word poem, declaring “We are ready to cover the Boston Common with our cries for freedom. Our marching reddening the ground and our goals taking flight. Spray paint Sandra Bland, Christine Ford, and Faith Rodgers in blue. Let this be known: we are just getting started and we are looking for a fight.” Their voices were strong in their calls for justice, igniting the crowd along with them. They explained that working as a part of the InIt Class of 2019, “We want to use our power and our voices to engage in uncomfortable conversations.” Alongside their fellow delegates, they are identifying issues of justice in their communities and strategizing and organizing for justice. At the end of their performance, they led the crowd with their chant: “No one is free when some are oppressed. March like a girl and fight for the rest.”
Other notable speakers from the march included US Representative Ayanna Pressley and representatives from Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, NAACP-Boston, The Chelsea Collaborative, a number of women who have recently run for political office, and more. Following the speakers, the crowd marched from the Boston Common, down Commonwealth Avenue to Clarendon Street and back. The march organizers then hosted community building time from 2pm-3pm.
Watch Ikraam, Miranda, and Isabella’s performance below:
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About InIt
As the first YWCA in the nation, YW Boston has been at the forefront of advancing equity for over 150 years. Our youth programs work with young people across Greater Boston to help them learn about key social justice concepts and gain skills that support their growth into socially responsible leaders. Click to learn more about InIt.