While millions gathered in Washington D.C. for the Women’s March on January 21, mini protests occurred all across the country. I was fortunate enough to live in a city that hosted one as well. Hundreds of people, men and women, united at a small city riverfront, ready to change the world. Signs filled the sky and everyone was silent as powerful speakers guided the peaceful protest. The most important part: the young girls who attended. For the first time since the election, I felt proud of America.
          

Not proud of what has been done recently, but proud of what might be to come. While we may have four dark years ahead, this controversy has united so many demographics and shown us how powerful we can be when we stand together. Women have become especially connected through these past months, taking to every social media platform to encourage others and spread awareness. Now, more than ever, women are acknowledging their role in society and standing up for the rights women before us fought so hard to receive. Our rights were not given, they were earned, and that makes them all the more valuable.
          

But the most important lesson of all is the one we will pass down to the little girls who are too young to remember this. We are Generation Z, we are young adults, old enough to remember the election, remember the marches, even be blessed enough to say we took part in them; however, not every little girl will have that opportunity. Some will grow up never remembering Obama and assuming that being oppressed is just a part of being woman, but it’s our jobs to make sure they know the difference. We can’t stop the marches, can’t stop the posters, can’t stop the protests, can’t stop the talk. We have to keep the conversation alive. We have to teach those who come after us, that it once was a good thing to be American, that it’s okay to be a feminist and that standing up for what you believe in is always the right thing to do.