On Saturday, hundreds rallied in a march to the west steps of the state capitol in Sacramento to celebrate African American women and in a call to action for their empowerment, reports the Sacramento Bee.
About 800 people participated in the third annual Black Women’s March from Crocker Park to the Capitol, placards displaying the faces of Sojourner Truth, Marsha P. Johnson and Mae Jemison held high. The event included performances, live music and speeches from prominent community members, all organized by the Sacramento chapter of Black Women United. Host Courtney Dempsey, a reporter for “Good Day Sacramento” station CW31, opened the morning events with a rallying call.
“Fifty-seven years ago, Malcolm X said the most disrespected person in America is who?” The crowd responded, “The Black woman!” She asked, “The most unprotected person in America is who?” And the crowd again answered, “The Black woman!” Dempsey asked, “The most neglected person in America is who?” And the crowd shouted back, “The black woman!” Dempsey said, “It’s 2019. Can we say much has changed?” The crowd responded “no!”
As other speakers would do, Dempsey cited the resilience of Black women in the face of centuries of oppression and the continued need for equity and representation. “She (the Black woman) can lead. She can live.”
There were community organizations tabled along the perimeter, including the NAACP, ACLU, Sacramento LGBT Community Center and various health organizations, alongside event sponsors Planned Parenthood and Equality California. Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, spoke of high incarceration and low college admission rates, emphasized the need for reparations and urged listeners to hold politicians vying for Black voters accountable. She also credited her fellow Black female politicians – Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Marina del Rey), Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles), and Democratic State Senator Holly Mitchell (30th District) of Los Angeles – with progress in climate justice, housing reform and criminal justice reform.
“There’s no group of people more organized than black women. … We are the rock and foundation of all our communities,” Dempsey said.
