What Are We Marching For?

A Call for True Connection and Solidarity

This weekend’s People’s March was markedly smaller than the massive gatherings we saw in 2017. The dwindling numbers aren’t surprising—people are tired. Tired of walking the same streets, holding the same signs, shouting the same slogans. Tired of the endless cycle of resistance against a government that seems to thrive on chaos and oppression.

And it begs the question: What are we marching for?

Are we marching to beg for scraps from a corrupt system that was never designed to serve us? Or are we ready to step into something deeper—true connection and solidarity that isn’t contingent on seeking permission from the very systems oppressing us?

Protesting or Persisting in a Broken Cycle?

Protests have long been a tool for amplifying voices and resisting injustice, but we must ask ourselves if we’re stuck in a cycle of performative resistance. When marches end and signs are put away, what changes? Are we simply engaging in a ritual of outrage, or are we building something sustainable, something rooted in care, community, and collective power?

The exhaustion many feel is valid. It’s hard to keep marching when the tangible results seem so far away. It’s hard to show up when the very act of resistance often feels like a demand to beg for what should already be ours. Healthcare. Equity. Autonomy. Safety.

This isn’t to say protests have no value—they do. They energize movements, create visibility, and foster a sense of collective action. But we must also ask: What comes next? How do we channel the energy of resistance into the work of liberation?

The Season of Self: Pausing to Build

This question—What comes next?—is deeply tied to the Season of Self. The truth is, before we can show up fully for collective liberation, we must first tend to ourselves. Supremacy culture demands that we exhaust ourselves in the name of productivity and resistance, but what if we paused? What if we turned inward to align with our values and reconnect with our purpose?

The Season of Self reminds us that liberation begins within. It asks us to step away from the chaos and into reflection. To honor the cycles of nature, which teach us that rest is not idleness but preparation for growth. When we do this work—when we pause, reflect, and align—we are not abandoning the fight. We are strengthening our capacity to build the world we imagine.

A Special Invitation: Lunch and Liberation

This week, I’m inviting paid subscribers to join me for a special Lunch and Liberation talk in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We’ll explore how Dr. King’s legacy ties into the themes of the Season of Self and the ongoing work of liberation. Together, we’ll reflect on these questions:

• What does it mean to engage in resistance while tending to ourselves and each other?

• How do we move beyond performative resistance into intentional action?

• How can we honor the values of interconnection, community, and care that Dr. King embodied in his work?

This live session will be a space for deep reflection, open dialogue, and actionable steps to move forward in alignment. It’s not just a conversation—it’s a commitment to pause, to build, and to grow in solidarity.

Paid subscribers will have exclusive access to this live event. If you’re not already a subscriber, this is the perfect time to join. Let’s honor this Season of Self and the legacy of those who came before us by planting the seeds for a liberated future.

Imagining What Comes Next

If you’re tired of marching, you’re not alone. Many of us are tired—not just from protests but from the weight of systems that demand our exhaustion. Let that fatigue be a sign that something must change. Let it be a call to shift from seeking justice to creating it.

This work isn’t easy. It requires a commitment to deep, intentional action. It requires connection, trust, and a willingness to imagine beyond what currently exists. But it’s also the work that will sustain us, long after the chants have faded and the streets are quiet again.

Let’s keep asking the hard questions. Let’s keep showing up—not just to march, but to build the world we deserve.

In solidarity and liberation,

Desireé B Stephens

Educator | Counselor | Community Builder

Founder, Make Shi(f)t Happen