On Saturday, Oct. 24, a group of Harrisonburg community members gathered on Court Square for a “No Confirmation Before Inauguration” rally, an offshoot event of the national Women’s March.

“I decided to host a Women’s March here in Harrisonburg even though I knew it would only be me and my best friend holding signs outside the courthouse,” Dominique Kroeger, an EMU senior, said in her speech. “I had to do something. I had to start fighting for my rights and democracy…What I thought would be a rally of two people instead is a rally of all of you.”

The rally featured a variety of speakers, supporting women’s rights, the LGBTQ+ community, the BIPOC community and honoring and remembering the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. 

Kroeger organized the gathering with the help of Richmond resident and event planner Sandy Minskoff who had more local connections than Kroeger. Together, they were able to reach out to community members from a variety of different local coalitions. 

The local gathering is an offshoot from the broader Women’s March organization. The first Women’s March of the year took place in January, but upon the death of Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and in the shadow of the then-pending nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, organizers called for a second gathering. 

“The event was one of the many local marches in conjunction with the bigger one in Washington, D. C. last weekend. It is important for the community to see that women in the area are paying attention and will hold our elected officials accountable for what they do and don’t do with their political power,” said Mary Sprunger, an EMU History professor.  

Paula Polglase, Director of Development, took time to acknowledge the life of Bader Ginsberg, reading out a list of her accomplishments, many of which included fighting for the rights of women and marginalized communities. Other speakers focused on the potential appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and what it might mean for different communities. Many in the crowd wore clothing which referenced the life of Bader Ginsberg, including two dogs donning crowns and lace collars, symbolic of the “Notorious RBG.” 

“I think a point of this march itself is about Ruth Bader Ginsberg and honoring her legacy. I hope from here, people really think about it and who they’re going to vote for and what that means for the future,” junior Sarah Rittenhouse said, representing the Eastern Mennonite Student Women Alliance (EMSWA). 

Despite the intentional focus on Bader Ginsberg, the event also took time to address and acknowledge other communities fighting for their rights in the United States today. “Initially, I was thinking it would be all about the Supreme Court, but [after] contacting other people, I decided on a broader focus,” Kroeger said. 

Both students and staff showed up at Court Square to show their support, many donning shirts or carrying signs. Emily Powell, Northlawn Resident Director, reflected on her attendance. “As a staff member, I see this directly as an opportunity to support a student. Beyond that, I see this as an opportunity to support individuals who have been marginalized and need a little bit of extra love.”

This was Kroeger’s first time hosting an event like this. She found it “kind of nerve racking but kind of uplifting.” Through the organizing process, Kroeger realized there was a much larger community uniting around the issues the rally addressed than she imagined.