Or, why I am not wearing red on “A Day Without Women”
One of the few bright spots in the political climate of 2017 has been the resurgence of female activism. Across the country, women who are dismayed (to say the least) about the reality of Donald Trump as POTUS are organizing, running for office, calling their representatives, and creating amazing communities.
The Women’s March in January was a pivotal moment. Millions of women across the USA and around the world stepped up to advocate for women’s right and a host of other related policies. And the iconic symbol of that march was a pink hat.
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Bulding on that momentum, the organizers of the march are now promoting “A Day Without A Woman” on March 8th. Great! Keeping the momentum going in an activism community is important, and I’m all for it.
So why did the organizers make a basic marketing mistake? I get that not everyone in the community is thrilled with pink due to the gendered meaning attached to the color. But one thing I have learned in my marketing career is that if something works, go with it. If a completely grassroots effort like the Pussyhat Project generated that much success, don’t throw that advantage away. Own it.
On March 8th I’ll be wearing my pussyhat proudly. I hope I won’t be the only one.
Many women of color felt left out by the pink pussy hat, since pink is not the appropriate skin color for them. Red is a color that excludes no one. If this is going to be a women’s strike, we need to make sure that all women of all skin colors feel included.