Donald Trump, an outspoken real estate mogul turned politician, shook up the world when he was elected President in the 2016 election. After close to a year in office, American society has undeniably changed. The American people elected a man speaking hate and intolerance from stages across the nation, and consequently this same hatred and intolerance is now being preached from behind the desk of the highest office in the world. As a result, racists, neo-Nazis, misogynists, anti-feminists, islamophobes, homophobes, and other hateful groups have come out of the woodwork and are becoming bolder and bolder every day. It’s as if the election of this man has ripped the mask off of the American people, and shown them as they really are.  He is validating these hateful people not only with his words, but with his actions both during the presidency and in the past. He is causing their movements to grow and reversing the progress of historically disenfranchised people.  

While Trump’s actions and statements have essentially given permission to hateful groups to surface, he also has caused the opposing movements to grow and get louder; to drown out the messages of hate with one of love and acceptance. A known misogynist was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, and on the morning of January 21 2017 thousands of women in dozens of cities across the country joined together in a record breaking march for Women’s Rights. The connection is undeniable, he ticked women off and they came together like never before to show a united front against the new President.

Trump angered a lot of people and unintentionally started a flame in every anti-hate, equal rights, and social justice movement; you can only fire so many shots before they fight back! And that is exactly what we have seen over this year: the American people are fighting back! In his short time in office, the American people have risen up in a colossal way against every single word of hate, ignorance, or injustice that has come from the White House.

Trump’s Muslim ban sparked protests in airports across the nation with hundreds of people from all walks of life screaming “Refugees are welcome here!” The Black Lives Matter movement has grown significantly this past year.  Movements that basically represent everything that Trump is against are growing and getting bigger and stronger with every hateful ignorant word that he speaks or tweets.

Just recently, the “Me Too” and ‘Times Up’ campaigns have surfaced in support of victims of sexual assault. Groups have been formed to protect women’s reproductive rights, and to protect immigrant children from being deported from the only home they’ve ever known.  These groups have been under attack since Trump has been in office and they are not going down without a fight.  It seems that Americans have realized that when hate and injustice is coming from the highest office in the world, our voices must be louder and stronger preaching love, equality, acceptance, and justice.

The current events in this country can be quite discouraging; however, I think the resilience that these great movements have shown and the way that they continue to grow in the time where we need them the most, is a great sign of the strength of the American people.