Empowering each other as women inspired two University of Maryland Eastern Shore students to launch a campus-wide 100 Women in Heels march. The event took place on March 26 on the University’s campus.
Masarrah McDade and Madison Abdus-Sabur came up with the idea for fellow female students to walk together as they work together.
“When I think of heels, I think of empowerment, being able to push through the pain, and how pressure creates diamonds,” said McDade, a junior marketing major.
More than 100 women – students, alumni, faculty, and staff – joined the march procession, which began at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts and concluded at the Student Services Center Theater. Event participants each donned professional attire and heels.
McDade said the concept for her 100 Women in Heels march was based on an event held last fall called 100 Men in Suits. The November procession, which was spearheaded by Student Government Association president Armani Dukes, focused on men’s mental health following the death of a recent UMES graduate.
“When we saw the 100 men in suits, we thought, ‘Why can’t we have a march for women?,’” she said. “So many of our clubs on campus are led by women, and sometimes, most people do not know or give them thanks. Women have run UMES since we were founded in 1886, so I am really happy to give this to all the trailblazers.”
Chief of Staff and Vice President of Presidential Strategy Latoya Jenkins said the impact of the event is a testament to the engagement of students such as McDade and Abdus-Sabur.
“Our student leaders truly have a voice here on campus,” Jenkins said. “Being able to see them lead in the classroom and advocate for student needs out of it showcases what can be done when they collaborate with campus partners and the administration.”
Senior Sydney Rutledge-Smith was among the students who attended and participated in the march. She said having an event that recognizes the work and dedication of the women on the UMES campus was empowering.
“A lot of women on this campus are making history just being part of an HBCU campus,” Rutledge-Smith, a digital media studies major, said. “We have so many women doing amazing things here, and I wanted to be part of this movement as a woman who has found her place and is growing into womanhood.”
McDade, who was smiling from ear to ear at the sight of so many women participating in the march, could not hold back her excitement about the turnout.
“The energy was amazing. I feel at my most comfortable when I am around women and this was a beautiful scene,” she said. “Being able to come together to support other women – friends, sisters, cousins – it’s the most powerful thing. When are able to come together, we can be a force to be reckoned with.”
