Nashville joined cities like Washington, D.C., across the country in a People’s March on Jan. 18, 2025, seeing hundreds of protestors march and chant from Nissan Stadium to Public Square Park.
Women’s March rebranded the gathering this year as “People’s March” to include other forms of discrimination within the community, including transphobia, misogyny, immigration status and race.
Protest signs floated over hundreds of protestors’ heads during the march, which traced from Wasioto Park through downtown Nashville and ended at Public Square Park outside City Hall. Protestors wore green and many wore “pussyhats” while holding political signs that read “Petrify the Patriarchy” and “This is our nation, not your church.”
One protestor chanted demands for equality and peace through a megaphone as the crowd echoed. Other chants included “No justice, no peace” and “This is what democracy looks like.”
Some sidewalk activists demonstrated support by holding signs that read “We see you,” and bus drivers honked their horns as the crowd walked through downtown. Another man walked by the crowd, repeating “Trump” and raising his fist.
Organizers and volunteers scattered throughout the crowd led chants to Public Square Park, where volunteers went around the crowd, double-checking email lists for their organizations. Booths near the stage held snacks, water and information about Planned Parenthood and voter registration. Amelia Pant volunteered with Planned Parenthood, representing Rutherford County.
“I am pretty fed up with our views not being represented in the legislature, especially with civic engagement so low,” Pant said. “It’s frustrating, and I just want more people to get involved, especially since there are so many who feel like…they’re alone.”
Tennessee State House Rep. Gloria Johnson criticized Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in her speech, chiding him on not helping Hurricane Helene victims in Northeast Tennessee sooner.
“Gov. Lee waited until January ‘til he thinks he has the votes for vouchers to call a special session for the victims of Hurricane Helene,” Johnson said. “North Carolina has already had three special sessions since October…He waited to combine it with vouchers so that he could push for the extra votes he needs to destroy Tennessee’s public education.”
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden said the Equal Rights Amendment is ratified, sparking backlash among the legal community over whether the ERA could be enacted. After seeing the reaction, Johnson found the People’s March especially important to attend.
“We know it’s dark times for women in Tennessee, but I think, nationally, it’s going to be a huge struggle,” Johnson said.
Planned Parenthood volunteer and MTSU business innovation and entrepreneurship major Alexis Smith stayed throughout the entire march and all speeches, facing the quickly dropping temperatures.
A Planned Parenthood Generation Action booth at MTSU inspired Smith to get involved with Planned Parenthood and learn more about local politics.
“It’s really messed up to make sure that he [Lee] has the votes to let all those people suffer over and over again,” Smith said. “And that just goes to show where we are in Tennessee. So, again, the fight doesn’t stop, and that’s why I’m here. I’d do this every day if I could.”
Allie Phillips, a former Tennessee House candidate for District 75 and activist for women’s reproductive rights, spoke about the state’s abortion ban and how it influenced her to run for office. Phillips experienced an unviable pregnancy and was denied access to treatment in-state.
“It’s important for me to still be here,” Phillips said. “One, to show myself I still have the fight. Two, to show my daughter that you don’t give up just because you don’t win. And three, to remind everybody here that…it takes time to make change and to create a movement.”
Victoria Broderick, a former U.S. House candidate for Tennessee’s District 4, stood with her hands raised to her sides as she spoke to the crowd. She encouraged students engrossed in campus life to explore involvement in activism.
“I wanna see more progressives in politics… more young people in politics,” Broderick said. “Your knowledge is valuable. I can’t teach you to want this, but I can educate you the rest of the way. If you’re interested in politics, get involved because we need you out here…if we want to see change.”
Paige DeLozier, an MTSU alum and mom, recited a poem for her child on stage, saying that she only hopes for her daughter to feel and give love. DeLozier graduated from MTSU’s teaching program in 2013 and became a teacher in Nashville. She also criticized Lee’s voucher bill and how the Tennessee GOP handles public education.
“The bureaucracy of it all and the politics very quickly become all of it, and then that’s when I very slowly, I guess, started to wake up and realize, ‘Oh, you kind of have to be an activist if you’re going to be a good teacher,’” DeLozier said.
John Ray Clemmons, Tennessee House Representative of District 55, criticized Governor Bill Lee’s latest decisions regarding Tennessee’s public education.
“Do not, do not sit idly by while this Governor tries to destroy public education,” Clemmons said. “If you think that’s not gonna have a disparate impact on the little girls in this city, let me tell you.”
Clemmons called for everyone to attend the Tennessee General Assembly special session on Jan. 27 to protest against the school voucher bill. He hopes college students get involved in politics and attend sessions, as college students are on the cusp of entering the economy and professional world.
“Everything that we’re dealing with directly impacts [college students],” Clemmons said. “In fact, it impacts you more than the people who are controlling everything up in the state capital. Your generation has more to lose than anyone, yet the participation is less than anyone, so we need to change that.”
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