Everything you need to know about the Women United March this Saturday (whether you’re participating or just want to avoid traffic)

The Charlotte Women’s March will return for its third year this Saturday, Jan. 26 at First Ward Park under a new name: the Women United March.

The new name comes with a new co-sponsor, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Queen City Metropolitan Chapter (NCBW-QCMC) — along with dozens of additional partners from underrepresented communities in Charlotte including Latina, LGBTQ+, Muslim-American, Asian, Indian and more.

“Our main goals this year are unity and diversity,” said Laura Meier, co-president of the Charlotte Women’s March. “We are seeing a divide in the movement in D.C., Chicago, California and New York, but the Women United March strives to unify women across our differences. We have to come together — we are so much better when we listen to each other.”

The first Charlotte’s Women March, held the same weekend as the 2017 presidential inauguration, was in direct response to the 2016 election. But Meier expects this year’s march to focus much less on the White House and more on the issues.

“We do not expect to hear Trump or political party bashing; we are beyond politics and Trump. We have so much more to talk about than that,” Meier said.

Gina Navarrete, co-president of the Charlotte Women’s March, said this year’s march will be more focused on tangible gender inequalities and women’s rights, such as living and working in a world free from sexual harassment and violence, equal employment opportunities, equal pay for equal work and reproductive rights.

“We are still in a society where women are disproportionately underpaid, discriminated against, and don’t have access to affordable healthcare,” said Tiffany Hemmings Prather, president of NCBW-QCMC.

Navarrete’s goal for the Women United March is that women leave feeling educated and empowered around these issues.

“I hope everyone leaves this year’s march committed or recommitted to at least one specific cause,” Navarrete said. “Marches are great — they invigorate and motivate — but the fact is that no number of marches will make a bit of difference unless we are willing to take action. It’s important for people to know that this is more than a march, it is a movement!”

To Meier, the 2019 march will be about celebrating women. “We are lauding our accomplishments and lamenting our challenges, while at the same time expressing our hope for the future with women leadership,” she said.

Whether you’ve got your signs made and you’re ready to join the movement, or you just want to know how to navigate Uptown while the march is in progress, here are all the details that you need to know for Saturday’s event:

What’s the event schedule?

The event will kick off at First Ward Park (301 E. 7th St.) at 11 a.m. with a welcome speech from Laura Meier, co-president of the Charlotte Women’s March, and Renee Hill, board member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Queen City Metropolitan Chapter (NCBW-QCMC).

After that, there will be a speakers’ forum until 12 p.m. emceed by Andrea “Angie C.” Chandler (Manager of Educational Initiatives and Public Programs at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture) and Gina Esquive (Principal of Civic Canvas).

Who will be speaking at this year’s forum?

This year’s speakers’ forum (at First Ward Park from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) will feature:

• Co-keynote speakers Anita Earls (Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court) and Rabbi Judith Schindler (Director of the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice)
• Julie Eiselt (Mayor Pro-Tem)
• Stefania Arteaga (Co-Founder, Comunidad Colectiva)
• Cat Bao Le (Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Coalition)
• Susan Harden (County Commissioner)
• Hannah Hasan (Poet and Co-Creator of EpochTribe)
• Myka Johnson (Core Organizer of Charlotte Uprising)
• Rebby Kern (Director of School Outreach at Time Out Youth)
• Gina Navarrete (Co-President of the Charlotte Women’s March)
• Pamela Pearson (Attorney and Chair of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic)
• Reverend Sharon Washington Risher (Activist and Author)
• Jessica Schorr Saxe (MD and Chair at Health Care Justice-NC)
• Ash Williams (NC Organizer at SisterSong)

When and where does the march begin?

The Women United March will begin at 12:30 p.m. at First Ward Park.

What is the march route?

The march will start at First Ward Park. Participants will walk down E. 7th St. to N. Tryon St., continuing along Tryon to “The Square” (at E. Trade St.).

The march will then make its way back to First Ward Park by 1:30 p.m.

What happens after the march?

The Women United March is encouraging participants to stick around afterwards for post-march festivities including music, food and community vendors at First Ward Park until 3 p.m.

How do I get there?

If you’re able to walk to First Ward Park, that’s how you should get there.. Otherwise, you can get Uptown parking details here, or learn how you could get there via bus or light rail here. You could also hop on one of the Lime or Byrd bikes or scooters. And of course, you could always Lyft or Uber!

What if it rains?

The Women United March is a rain or shine event — but a rain jacket may suit you better than an umbrella, since many participants will also choose to carry signs.

If I can’t be at the event, how else can I contribute?

The Women United March is made possible thanks to donations that allow the organization to pay for things like park rental fees, security and more. You can make a donation here.

Where can I find out more?

You can visit womenunitedmarch.org and the Women United March in Charlotte 2019 Facebook event for additional details.

This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 12:03 AM with the headline "Everything you need to know about the Women United March this Saturday (whether you’re participating or just want to avoid traffic)."