Expect crowds and street closures in uptown Charlotte this Saturday as the Women United March gets underway. It's the third such march to be held in Charlotte and this year, new leadership is hoping to place diversity front and center, while tamping down on partisan rhetoric.
That's partly why organizers incorporated the word "united" into the name this year. As the organization's website reads, "we're stronger when we stand united."
In keeping with that theme, the event has a new co-sponsor - The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Queen City Metropolitan Chapter - and speakers have been asked to focus less on political figures and more on issues that unite.
"We don't want this march to be about any one political candidate," Renee Hill, one of the event organizers told WFAE's Charlotte Talks this week. "We want this march to be about women and women's issues."
Planning to attend? Here's what you need to know:
Where and when will the event take place?
The event will begin at 11 a.m. in uptown's First Ward Park. As in past years, the program will start with a number of speeches from community leaders, elected officials and local activists.
At 12:30 p.m., the crowd will begin to march along Tryon Street to the intersection of Trade and Tryon, then loop back around to First Ward Park, where music, vendors and other activities will continue until the event culminates at 3 p.m.
Related Content: Charlotte Talks: Women United March 2019
Who will be there?
Some1,400 people say on Facebookthey plan to attend the event and another 6,300 are marked as "interested."
Among the attendees will be over a dozen local speakers who will rally the crowd ahead of the march. None are Republican, though organizers say that wasn't a conscious decision.
Speakers include recently-elected Democratic women like state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls and County Commissioner Susan Harden. Local activists Stefania Arteaga, Cat Bao Le, Myka Johnson and Ash Williams are also on the roster. Congresswoman Alma Adams and City Councilwoman Julie Eiselt are also expected.
Why is the event happening a week after the national march?
Anniversary marches were held in many other cities, including in Washington, D.C.,last weekend. Organizers say they delayed the Charlotte march because of Charlotte's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, which had already been scheduled for last Saturday.
Local organizers also say they are unaffiliated with the national Women's March group.
