Women’s March coming back to NJ, inspired by town’s Revolutionary past

MORRISTOWN — On the day after President Donald Trump was sworn into office, more than 7,000 people descended on Trenton for the Women's March New Jersey. Now organizers are hoping even more people will come to the second march, happening next month in this municipality.

Elizabeth Meyer, the lead organizer for this year's parade and founder of the event, said they hope by leaving the state capital and going to where the Continental Army spent time during the American Revolution will help continue the mission of the march.

"One of the things about Morristown that our committee looked and we really loved was its rich revolutionary history," she said. "It sort of being the winter encampment of George Washington's army. We figured that we'll be marching and freezing in the footsteps of revolutionaries that have come before us."

This year's march will start at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20 at the Morristown Hall and go to the Morristown Green. Meyer said that while the 2017 march was in response to President Trump's taking office, this year will be about building momentum for the 2018 midterm elections. The slogan for the march this year is "Power to the Polls," which is why voter registration will be part of the group's efforts this year.

"I think it's time to turn the tide by actually electing officials across the state that really share our values instead of trying to convince ones that already represent us to change theirs no matter what their political affiliation," she said.

She said the march will also be an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women over the past year.

"We've run for office, we've organized, we've told our stories and I think it's a great opportunity to get together again, recharge our batteries, and celebrate those achievements," she said.

Meyer said the mission of the women's march is to "harness the power of a diverse group of women and their communities to really create social change." She said by having a statewide event, it "provides them a safe and really accepting platform to rally, to march, which is just exercising our rights to promote the things that we believe in."

The estimated crowd of close to 7,500 people last year was almost two times as much as organizers had expected, and Meyer believes it is entirely possible that even more could come to Morristown. With no national march planned in Washington, D.C., and no other marches planned across the state, Meyer said it would give people across the state an opportunity to rally in one location. She also said it could become an annual event.

"I think they almost view it as a reunion," she said of the participants. "This desire to continue this movement towards equality and justice and shared values, people find they have those things in common."

The women's march will have a website launching soon, but in the meantime information can be found on the event Facebook page. Registration is not required, but is encouraged on the Eventbrite page.

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