Saturday more than one million people across the world marched the streets in unison.

In Washington, D.C. alone, the attendance numbers at the Women’s March almost doubled the amount of people who attended the inauguration.

People took to the streets with one goal in mind: equality.

Something our new president has shown numerous times he doesn’t necessarily value.

Although I wasn’t able to attend the Women’s March Saturday morning, I was able to cover a march for The Shield a little closer to home, in our little town of Evansville Friday afternoon.

I saw people come together.

I saw unity.

People cheered and clapped; they held up their signs with confidence. They walked together.

That afternoon people didn’t see gender, race, sexuality, political affiliation or religion.

They saw each other as human beings and marched for peace, justice and equality.

Although this march was considerably smaller than the one in D.C, New York or Chicago, the impact was the same.

For all the people that honked their horns, cheered from their windows and stood on the curbs encouraging marchers, their voices were heard.

To be able to witness people voicing what they care about and trying to make a difference changed my perspective.

We can make a difference, whether we are in a small town in Indiana or in New York City; when people see us come together, it changes them.

It breaks down the walls of hate.

I have seen so many posts on Facebook about people disagreeing with the Women’s March and that protesting is wrong because it doesn’t get you anywhere.

But what’s wrong with exercising your right as an American citizen?

I believe in peaceful protests. I believe they can make a difference.

However, smashing windows, setting trash cans on fire and screaming profanities doesn’t get you anywhere but jail. It’s uncalled for.

But at the Women’s March nobody was arrested; it was peaceful.

Can’t we just appreciate women fighting for what we’ve been trying to accomplish for decades?

No, marching isn’t going to get Trump out of the White House.

But he sees it.

He sees how strong we can be when we come together. And whether you think it helps or not, “you can’t always help the world, but you can help anyone or anything an arm’s length in front of you.”

My cousin once told me that.

Although I am upset I couldn’t march with other powerful women on Saturday, I know I can fight for my rights and for the rights of others in my town.

Bernie Sanders recently tweeted, “President Trump, you made a big mistake. By trying to divide us up by race, religion, gender and nationality you actually brought us closer.”

I’m proud to be a woman, I’m proud of my cousin that marched in New York City and I hope that one day we won’t have to march anymore, because then I’ll be proud of that too.