The fracture of a movement: how controversy reshaped the 2019 Women's March
In short: A movement built on solidarity faced a crisis of identity in 2019. Internal fractures over leadership and allegations of antisemitism led to a dramatic shift in the landscape of the protest, resulting in a fractured map of independent marches and a significant decline in national sponsorship.
The 2019 Women's March was marked by a notable decline in participation and resources compared to its 2017 and 2018 predecessors. This shift was attributed to a combination of poor weather, waning public interest, and intense scrutiny regarding the national leadership. Specifically, the organization saw its number of sponsors plummet from 550 in 2017 to just 200 by 2019. Major partners, including the Democratic National Committee and the NAACP, withdrew their support during this period.
The primary catalyst for this friction was the involvement of national co-chairs Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland, and Carmen Perez with events hosted by Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan had made antisemitic remarks, including referring to "the powerful Jews" as his enemy. These associations prompted co-founder Teresa Shook to call for the leaders' resignations, arguing that the movement had allowed "hateful, racist rhetoric" to become part of its platform. The controversy was so significant that it led several state chapters to formally distance themselves from the national organization.
This friction manifested geographically as a fragmented protest landscape. In New York City, the march split into two separate events—one affiliated with the national group and one independent. Similarly, Philadelphia hosted two distinct marches. In Los Angeles, the local march was organized by an unaffiliated group that explicitly disavowed the national leadership's rhetoric. Some cities, like New Orleans and Chicago, canceled their marches entirely, citing the controversy as a primary factor in their inability to fundraise or secure attendees.
Despite these fractures, the movement continued to produce tangible policy work. The organization released "The Women's Agenda," its first federal policy initiative, which was developed with 70 movement leaders. This 71-page document outlined 24 federal policy priorities, ranging from ending violence against women to securing immigrant rights and promoting environmental justice. While the national brand faced a crisis of unity, the underlying policy framework remained a central pillar of the movement's objectives.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2019 Women's March
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