Op-Ed: We Planned a #NotMyPresidentsDay Rally and We Didn’t Have Any Experience

Two women who had never before planned a rally decided to give it a try and it turned out great!

It all started with a Facebook message.

And then another.

And voila! There was going to be a rally.

It all started with an idea. It was that simple. Two friends, emboldened by attending rallies, marches, vigils — deciding to move out of our comfort zones and organize a rally in Downtown Los Angeles.

So we set up a Facebook event and started by inviting our friends. There were 200 guests. Then 500. Then 2,000. And by the day of, over 19,000 people were “Interested” in attending our rally on February 20th — President’s Day. Or, as we were referring to it, Not My President’s Day.

At first, I was intimidated by the process of organizing a rally. Especially when other cities began reaching out and asking to have their own. Yep, there were rallies that day from New York City to Chicago to Dallas to Milwaukee. Many people saw our event and took action to organize a rally in their own cities.

Before starting to organize this rally, I thought only professionals could. People who have been organizing rallies for years. Women who could stand up and speak in front of others with confidence.

How could I, a random woman with very little activist experience, plan a rally? Well, we did. And I’m here to tell you that you can do it too. If you have an idea for something, you can make it happen. Does it seem crazy? It’s not. Do you feel ill-prepared? You’re not.

On February 20th, we held our rally in Los Angeles, and the groups of people that we helped inspire around the country held theirs too. Many were also new to organizing but decided to jump in after being inspired to take action since attending the Women’s March.

The point is that if you think someone more experienced or with more connections should be the one to do something, you’re probably wrong. We wanted a rally and we made it happen. You can too. Don’t be scared to make your ideas happen. Sometimes you’re the best person to make it happen because the idea came from you. Don’t be scared to step out of your comfort zone and take action. After all, how do you get the experience? Just get started.

Smart Girls welcomes outside contributors. The views and opinions expressed are the author’s own.