Harlem Goes to Washington

Tomorrow I will be going to Washington. It will be my third time going to Washington to a demonstration. My last visit was the Presidential Inauguration 2005. It was frightening. Large crowds of those for Bush and those against were on intersections (together!) for hours waiting to go through security. I didn't know what to be more frightened about. There were people around me in an array of cowboy hats and boots, society ladies in their furs, demonstrators with banners, and national guards men standing above the crowd on cement blocks holding guns. Once on Pennsylvania Ave, we were greeted by police in riot gear and guns on roof tops, and a line of police four deep. I no longer wanted to turn my back on Bush. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be in the safety of my tiny apartment in Manhattan with my loved ones.

My first Washington demonstration was the March For Women's Lives March 2005. I bought four tickets on the internet from the Fung Wah bus company here in NYC for my girl friend, my daughter, my cousin (who is the same age as my daughter) and myself. We were all excited. It was going to be my first demonstration in which family and friends came. It was a historic event which my daughter and her cousin would always remember. We got to the location in Chinatown where the Fung Wah bus was supposed to board. We found a dark silent street. As we rode around the area in search of the bus, (China Town in NYC isn't that big) we found nothing. There was one other person looking bewildered as she also searched for the bus. My husband felt sorry for us. We went home, regrouped, napped and my wonderful husband drove us to Washington the morning. It turned out great. I had lots of stories that women willing shared about the event.

I'm going by myself so I've prepared well. I bought my bus ticket and have it in my wallet. This time I bought my ticket from an organization sponsoring bus rides and not a random bus company going to DC. I'll be going with a group leaving from Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. The bus is leaving tomorrow. The ticket price was the best price being offered. Ten bucks roundtrip! I'm actually getting a two for one deal. I'll be attending the International Tribunal on Haiti at George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs. The opening session is Friday evening, September 23, 2005. Groups going for this event will be offered shelter in local churches for the night. Food is also being provided, but I'm bringing my own just in case. For more information you can go to:

http://www.internationalanswer.org. or http://www.unitedforpeace.org

You can also call the newspaper Haiti Progres at 718-434-8100. They are also selling bus tickets.

I'll be attending the rally on Saturday and the Operation Ceasefire Concert that evening. I'll be staying in a hotel that night.
I'll be heading back to New York Sunday afternoon.

So for those of you who can't go, I'll be blogging about the events and the people who participate.

You can check here for updates on the happenings, make suggestions, add comments or ask questions.

While writing this President Bush has just held a press conference. He made a statement about the demonstrators arriving in DC for tomorrows rally. Simply put he said, "Your position Is Wrong." What else is new?

Well with that said, I continue to prepare for my trip. I want to be in DC as a witness and to tell the stories that you won't see on Broadcast or even some progressive news.

Here's to all you demonstrators: Don't be afraid to raise your voice.