'We will not be silent': Delmarva women march on DC

They arrived in Washington, D.C., around 9 a.m. after riding a few hours in a bus.

They were from different towns across the Delmarva Peninsula. They were different ages, different colors.

But their goal was the same — to represent women from the area at one of the larger national marches in decades.

Organizers of the Saturday's Women’s March on Washington hope it will take its place among historic marches that led to movements — including the 1963 civil rights demonstrations and the Vietnam War protests of 1967.

Elsie Walker, 41, of Salisbury, came to represent her mother and her children.

"I'm walking for two daughters, who I want to grow up in a better world," she said while walking in D.C. on Saturday morning.

When the march actually started, the streets were too full in some areas, causing people to spill outside the official route. Several chants, including "This is what democracy looks like" and "We are the popular vote" were heard.

Despite the high volume of people, the event remained a calm one.

"Haven't quite made it to the rally point but crowd size, signs, cheers are soooo uplifting," tweeted Jessa Moon, a Salisbury resident who attended the DC March.

The journey to DC

It was chilly and dark at 5:30 a.m. in Salisbury on Saturday Jan. 21.

A couple dozen women with transparent backpacks and cups of coffee to warm their hands were settling onto a small bus chartered by a group called "Together We Will: Delmarva" to take area women to Washington, D.C., for the Women's March on Washington.

Similar marches would take place at the same time across the nation, in many major cities and in smaller communities. The Women's March would become a global movement, with "sister marches" on all seven continents and major demonstrations in New York City and Chicago.  One even took place in Ocean City on the Boardwalk and another in Lewes, Delaware.

MARCHING ON DELMARVA: Women march in OC in support of national movement​

BACKGROUND: Delmarva residents prep for Women's March on Washington

Amber Green, 26, was excited to be part of something so big.

"I'm eager to see what's going to come from this march. I hope it's not just a one time thing," the Salisbury resident said. "I hope that women take this as an opportunity to stay united, today, the next day; we need to support each other. We need to support each other, all ages all races."

Maggie Porter, 70, of Hebron, decided after the election that she really wanted to make a statement.

"I'm a little anxious, I think, about who we are going to meet, what groups, about meeting some Trump supporters, maybe even the KKK or a supremacist group," she said. "My general feeling though is one of excitement, of making history."

The Together We Will bus was not the only one headed to Washington from Delmarva.

A busload of women from the Eastern Shore of Virginia arrived in D.C. to join thousands of women from across the country in calling for unity and diversity. In addition to the now famous "pink pussy hats," the Virginia Shore women were wearing pink mink cuffs crafted by Shore resident and designer Donna Lawson.

"Women have historically been the teachers and the caretakers of cultural values, "Lawson said. "Our role is to nurture and heal. To make things better. We are also natural collaborators and team players. This gives us a lot of power, and accompanying responsibility. I am proud to be in D.C. today marching with other women who share my values for family, sisterhood, unity, equality and diversity. I live on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where these values are reflected every day in the kindness and cooperation of the people."

Lawson put in extra time as a way to represent the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

"Creating the pink cuffs was a labor of love. I wanted our ESVA group to stand out; to be readily visible and easily identifiable," she said. "The ESVA is a place of great diversity and of great unity. We tend to band together, and help our neighbors. ESVA folks are special in that way. Plus, the cuffs are bright enough to spot at a distance, so in the event anyone got separated, just raising an arm increased the chances we would find each other quickly."

Why they did it

Other women headed up on their own, meeting family or friends in Washington.

Jane Filipov, 58, of Salisbury, drove to Washington a day early to meet her daughters, Kathryn and Natalie, who attend the University of Maryland College Park. The mother and daughter marched together with some of her daughter's friends from school.

"I knew I would participate as soon as Trump won and I heard of the Women's March," Filipov said. "I had to participate. He is a threat to women's rights and a threat to all those who are vulnerable in our country. I want this to be the beginning of my resistance to unfair treatment of those of us in the minority. I want to stand with all women and make a strong statement that we are watching and we will not be silent."

Michele Schlehof Copper, 40, also of Salisbury, organized the trip for Together We Will Delmarva.

"I'm really excited," she said. "The message of inclusion and unity resonated with me."

She brought a sign that says "Women's rights are human rights."

For Sue Bromm, the reason for her being on a bus headed for D.C. dates back to a conversation she had with her young granddaughter, who worried what her place would be as a biracial person.

"That's why I'm on this march," said the 64-year-old Mardela Springs resident. "To protect my kids. And my grandkids."

Many of the women on the bus made signs to carry while marching, declaring unity and solidarity among women.

Jessa Moon, 32, of Salisbury, didn't ride on the bus but met friends in Washington Saturday for the march. She posted this on Facebook on Friday:

"Last time I marched in DC, I was there to promote awareness of Endometriosis, a debilitating disease affecting 176+ million women and girls worldwide. 1 in 10 women and girls suffer with this incurable illness, yet despite its prevalence few doctors are adequately trained to treat it, many treatment options are harmful or ineffective, and research for a cure is drastically underfunded. Sexism is one of the top causes of this tremendous oversight. Tomorrow when I March on DC, I will carry my #EndoSisters in my heart as I March for a world where women's health is a priority. Women's rights are HUMAN Rights."

From her Twitter feed Saturday, Moon felt good about going and the people she encountered.

"Met so many wonderful people today," she tweeted. "Kindness, encouragement, support, love!"

USAToday contributed to this report.