Teresa Shook Declines Participation at 2019 Women’s March

Teresa Shook, founder of Women’s March, has publicly called for the four self-appointed leaders of the Women’s March movement, Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, and Carmen Perez, to step down from their positions at Women’s March Inc., a New York-based organization.

Teresa Shook speaking at a Hilo rally.

After no response from the four current Women’s March leaders to Shook, as well as serious concerns raised by valid sources regarding the lack of financial accountability for millions of dollars donated to the Women’s March movement, Shook has issued the following statement to all the grassroots organizers across the nation, who she acknowledges are the genuine leaders of the massive movement called “Women’s March.”

“After careful consideration, I have decided that I will not be attending or speaking at this year’s Anniversary event for the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.. However, I do not in anyway minimize the roots of the historic March of 2017, the resulting global Movement, or our accomplishments.

The work of the hundreds of you who mobilized millions is a testament to the ability of women to make the impossible-possible when working towards a common goal. I will continue towards our common goals now and in the future.

I am very proud of the hundreds of thousands of people who “activated” on that day, nearly two years ago, and who continue in the sister grassroots organizations which make this Movement strong. To every unpaid organizer or activist fighting the good fight, to every headstrong marcher diligently showing up against adversity and injustice: your actions—big or small—have made a historic difference! The diversity of the new electorate in the U.S. House of Representatives is but one example.

I will always celebrate those of you making the world a better place for all women. But we have much work yet to do towards empowering and uplifting each other and ending racism, bigotry, and hate-speech.

Call me idealistic but in the end, love and aloha always wins.  We will rise up together, however long it takes. And I will continue to be with you as we collectively move forward and grow our movement.”