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A Divided America Celebrates Various Things

noe tanigawa
noe tanigawa

Nearly a hundred twenty nine thousand people voted for Donald Trump in Hawai‘i, and this morning, Hawai‘i Republicans convened at Ward Big City Diner to watch and celebrate the inauguration together.   President Trump’s inauguration is prompting other gatherings, including a teach in at UH Manoa today, a community concert tonight, and the international Women’s Marchtomorrow, now with over 600 sister marches world- wide.  HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports.

Women's March
Credit Women's March
The national Women's March on Washington has generated images for use by Sister Marches around the world. D.C. organizers were expecting over 200,000 marchers in the nation's capitol the day after President Trump's inauguration.

“Day of Resistance” activities continue through 2:30 on the UH M?noa campus and conclude with a march to Trump Tower  in Waik?k?.  The “Power to the Positive” free concert starts at 7 tonight at the Waik?k? Shell.  The Honolulu Women’s March begins at 10 at the State Capitol tomorrow, Saturday, January 21st, 2017.  

Washington DC officials expected some 8 to 900,000 people in town for today’s inauguration ceremony.   Gigi Jones is there---she was Hawai‘i State Director of the Trump for President campaign. 

“It is so exciting to be part of history and to be here, the energy is just amazing.  You’ll see people catching the metro or getting on buses and they’re wearing their red hats.  Everyone’s so excited and the energy is so great.”

Why do you think Mr. Trump is good for Hawai‘i?

“He’s talked a lot about infrastructure improvements and I really think that Hawai‘i can really benefit from infrastructure improvements, especially when it comes to our schools, to help the keiki especially.”

“I’m hoping that people will come around and realize that he’s going to be a great President.”

One hundred twenty eight thousand eight hundred forty seven Hawai‘i people voted for Donald Trump, a third of all voters.  They are celebrating.  Meanwhile, a "Day of Resistance" is underway at UH Manoa today, and tonight, a free community concert is planned for those concerned about where America could be headed.

“We will provide a groove for your hope and spirits to be uplifted.”

That’s Ikaika Hussey, guitarist with Jamarek, which means peace, in Senegal. 

“That’s what we’re going to do this Friday at this concert that a whole bunch of wonderful non-profit organizations are organizing at the Waikiiki Shell .  The goal of the concert, Power to the Positive, is to encourage our community to get involved, to get active, to get involved with nonprofit organizations, to get involved with political organizations,  and to really connect to what’s going on in our community and our society.”    

Makana, Taimane, and others, join with the Sierra Club, Hawai‘i ACLU, and more tonight, free, at the Waik?k? Shell.  Tomorrow, in Washington D.C., over two hundred thousand people are expected at the Women’s March on Washington in support of healthcare, reproductive freedom, education, the environment, civil rights, and more.

“I think maybe the whole purpose of a march is to let people know they should start paying attention.”  

Amy Monk is co-chair of Honolulu’s Women’s March, set for 10 am tomorrow, Saturday, at the State Capitol on O‘ahu.

“Every group that comes out and speaks will have an action item so that we have a next step.   We don’t want it to end with the March.”

“We are a divided nation.” Says Representative Della Au Belatti, Chair of the House Health Committee and a Women’s March co-Chair.

“In some ways this march is an attempt to heal those divisions but some of those divisions are very real because the policy visions are very different.  So we have to respect that, we have to engage in the conversation.  I want to find solutions and policy options that actually work, and I think there are good leaders on all sides of issues that are trying to do that.”

There are well over six hundred Sister Marches scheduled for tomorrow around the world, with nearly 1.4 million people participating.  Kaua‘i, Maui and Hawai‘i island also have marches.  Permits have been taken out for 1,800 buses to park in D.C. on Saturday; in contrast, approximately 400 buses were registered to park for the inauguration.  Word is, motor coaches are booked all through the Northeast and school buses are being used to get people to the March on Saturday.

“On my Facebook it’s everywhere, so it’s a really cool, powerful thing to see people wanting to come to the marches across the country,” says Morgan Truby, senior at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

“I hope it’s cool for our generation, I hope it moves our generation, I hope it lights a little fire under our generation to get them out and to get them standing up for what they believe in.”

On the front page of the national Women’s March on Washington: "The rise of the woman = The rise of the Nation"

Maui Women’s March

In solidarity with the Women's March on Washington, Maui will host a unity march on Saturday, January 21, 2017 from 8 to 11 a.m.  The march will be held at UH Maui College front lawn.   Here it is on Facebook.

Hilo Women’s March  Hilo will have a Sister March in support of the Women's March on Washington
Saturday, January 21, 2017.  Mo'oheau Bandstand, Downtown Hilo, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
March will begin approximately 11:30 a.m.

There is a Kona Women's March also, 3pm on January 21st, South of Henry Street on Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy in Kona

The Kaua‘i Women’s March happens Saturday from 11-1pm at the Lihue Airport intersection.  

TheHonolulu Women’s March  will begin on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at 10:00 am on the grounds of the Hawai‘i State Capitol. 

Registration and staging for the March on O’ahu will begin at 9:30 am on the Ewa lawn of the State Capitol. 

Following the march, individuals and groups will rally at the State Capitol.  O’ahu organizers or the supporting organizations i.e. AF3IRM, Ceeds of Peace, Friends of Hawai'i Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Hawai'i State AFL-CIO, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, Pretty Peacock Productions, Pride@Work-Hawai'i, and The AiKea Movement of Unite Here! Local 5.

FAQ’s for the O‘ahu March righthere.

 

Noe Tanigawa covered art, culture and ideas for two decades at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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