Hi, Fresno County —
It’s been a year since I took the stage in Washington to stand in solidarity with women around the country to advance an agenda rooted in equality, justice, and tolerance for all.
I’ll never forget that day.
It was an extraordinary moment where all women proved we cannot be dismissed or written off to the sidelines.
What I said at the first Women’s March holds true to this day: that while they may have the House, the Senate, and the White House, they have not and cannot take away our power — because it belongs with the people.
We have the power — as we have demonstrated throughout this past year — to create a more perfect union where the law finally guarantees equal pay for equal work, no matter your gender or race.
We have the power to defend women’s reproductive freedom and ensure millions of women won’t be left without care if Planned Parenthood is defunded by the Republicans.
We have the power to end this government shutdown and ensure Dreamers are protected from deportation, 9 million kids are insured, and we can fund our essential services like disaster relief and community health centers.
Last year’s march was the beginning of a movement that has empowered millions of women to say #MeToo and to challenge our supposed leaders in Washington who are desperate to force us backward.
It’s a movement that understands that the arc of the universe is long, but it always bends toward justice — and with an understanding that it is our responsibility to work hard and bend it ourselves.
Never forget that your voice is your power. You cannot create change if you sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else, even me, to solve the problems facing your community or this country.
Whether or not you were able to participate in the march last year or this year, this is a moment in time that is demanding all of us to dig deep and take ownership of the future. Be brave and stand with us in fighting for the people.
We are strong when we raise our voices together and that is precisely what we did one year ago — and what we will continue to do in the difficult weeks, months, and years ahead.
When people of all ages, colors, religions, and backgrounds come together, unified in our collective struggle for justice, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.
Stay involved — and we will win this fight in the end. Thank you.
Kamala Harris
U.S. Senator, California
