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Four women with no political expertise further advanced the Women’s March Asbury Park movement created on January 21 on Sunday.

The women are Amanda Kane, Dani Fiori, Dallas Hlatky and Jennifer Lampert, who within six days [and with the support of city officials], organized a local march that drew a crowd of 6,000.

“We were called to this, we never expected it would grow as large as it did,” organizer Dani Fiori said during Sunday’s Let’s Huddle event at Porta on Kingsley Street. “Really what we want to do is to help you be the change. We want to be the springboard, the inspirers, the love spreaders. We want to help you guys get out there and have your voice heard.”  

The call to action event opened with performances by female a Capella choir Olympia’s Daughters and 15-year-old Madhavi Devi of Jackson, whose original song ‘What If’ “speaks to the need to stick together in the midst of oppression,” she said. Also sharing her musical prowess was organizer Jenn Lampert [joined by Devi and Deseree Spinks of Des and the Swagmatics], who led the crowd of 350 through the rhythmic mantra “Fired Up and Ready Go” and the National Anthem sung as a prayer.  

Aimed at unifying the collective behind the march, six speakers touched on everything from voting rights by Ocean Township League of Women Voters founder Dallas Grove and social justice issues like immigration and the use of women’s bodies as a political battlefield from Liza Minno Bloom to health and spirituality by way of Konscious Youth Development and Service founders Mychal Mills and Rodney Solomon, and Rev Nicolle Harris who invited the collective to get to know the residents of west side community.

“Our intention is to have people informed, inspired, and in action once they leave,” the women said via a written statement.

US Congressman Frank Pallone [D-NJ], who tweeted “Women spoke loudly and unitedly against irresponsible efforts to take our country backwards” after the event, joined Assemblymembers Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey [D-Monmouth] in presenting the four women with a surprise proclamation of recognition.  

Among the participating organizations were representatives from the Asbury Park City Council, Planned Parenthood, Action Together NJ, KYDS, League of Women Voters of Ocean Township, Trinity Episcopal Church’s Food Justice League, and One World One Love.

Below are further vignettes from the event:

“I don’t care what political party you identify with,” said organizer Amanda Kane. “I don’t care you are a man or woman; if you are young or if you are old; I want you take today to think about what matters to you, what you are passionate about, and get involved. I don’t care if that means donating money, writing a letter, picking up the telephone, or being there to help that organization. If you find what you are truly passionate about and what matters to you and get involved, we then become the boots on the ground that are the actual change for what we want to see.”

“We can’t guarantee that we are going to throw a party every two months but so far so good,” organizer Dallas Hlatky said. “The Women’s March was a reaction to the election. On a national level, on a global level, people were upset. I know when I woke up the day after the election I felt scared, dumbfounded, confused, heartbroken and I know a lot of you felt the same way. The march was a way for us to come together, to remember who we are, to meet each other to take strength, courage and be together in solidarity.”

“In order for us to make this change in this world and outside of ourselves, we have to first start within because the energy that we have internalized is going to reflect in everything that we do,” KYDS founder Rodney Salomon said. KYDS, a nonprofit, works to introduce the area’s youth to a holistic lifestyle and expression through yoga and meditation as a method of addressing daily struggles. “If our heart is not pure, if our mind is not centered and our soul is not balanced, no matter what it is that we touch is going to be infused with that energy.”

Dallas Grove, who founded the League of Women Voters of Ocean Township in 1972, spoke of  getting her start by championing for environmental issues and realizing legislators were being informed on the details of any particular bill by local activists. The league she said is focused on policy not politics.

“The sky is the limit,” Grove said. “Whatever you believe in, whatever you showed up here today for, follow that.”

Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, who also got her start from advocating for environmental issues, challenged the crowd to attend local committees and organizations of interest, introduce oneself to the board chairs, and apply to become a member.

“I want you to go home today, go on your town’s website, find two or three boards that you are interested in, and then you have to go to a couple of those meetings,” Quinn said. “The reason I want you to start there is because it’s a bird’s eye view of how city government works.”

“We need to encourage more women, particularly to to go into politics and to make a difference to give us a voice,” organizer Jenn Lampert said in asking parents to help inspire the next generation to become politically active. “We need more women because because we are softer, we have different kinds of hearts, our brains work differently.”

“We know that we have always have been the glue that holds together movements, organizations, communities, families, schools, faith groups, and neighborhoods but we are not often recognized and honored as such.” said Liza Minno Bloom, a professor of women and gender studies and organizer for indigenous solidarity and racial justice. “We know too that women’s bodies have always been the battleground for struggles over political power and control since the dawn of patriarchy…This fear of women’s bodies defines the modes of control that women across the globe and throughout history are and have been subject to.”

“I came into social justice work because I knew I had to protect her,” said Jennifer Lewinski [at right] of her transgender daughter. Lewinski head of the local Black Lives Matter chapter. “Looking for ways to do that and communities to build around her and villages to build that makes safe spaces for her, I found a whole lot of other marginalized communities that needed help. What an amazing feeling it is as a social justice worker to have the whole world on your side one day. It tends to be a lonely space when you are talking about communities that people don’t want to talk about.”

“Last time we together under this umbrella, I asked you if you would love the hell out

somebody,” said Rev. Nicolle Harris [at right], an Asbury Park native and former member and president of the Asbury Park Board of Education. “It’s been about 33 days or so since we’ve been together and I’m sure you found out today that it is hard. It’s hard to love somebody when you don’t see eye to eye but you have to continue to do it because it is necessary. If love is truly going to trump hate somebody has got to stay on love’s side.”

For more about Women’s March Asbury Park and their continued initiatives, visit their Facebook page or via Instagram.

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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