2/28/2005 09:52:00 PM|||Britt|||One weekend in the early 1990s (probably '93 or '94), I went to Washington, D.C., to participate in a rally that had something to do with women's rights. Ten other students from Southern Illinois University and I packed into a van that had all but the rear seat removed. We left Carbondale, Illinois, on Friday morning and stopped at some podunk town near the Illinois/Indiana border to protest a Ku Klux Klan rally.

We avoided getting into a fight with the handful of locals who voiced their support for the KKKnuckleheads and hopped back into the van so we could make it to D.C. in time for the big event. We took turns sleeping on the floor, driving, and sitting in the back seat. It broke down into driver and navigator up front, three in the back seat, and the remaining six spread out on the floor.

At one point during the night/early morning, I woke to find myself under the legs of the people sitting in the back seat. I came close to freaking out but managed to wiggle myself to freedom. At the next stop, I took over the driver's seat and plugged in some Miles Davis.

We arrived in D.C. at daybreak on Saturday. We found some breakfast and worked our way to the Mall. People were gathering. I remember looking at quilts dedicated to battered women.

The day turned unbearably hot. I kept my long-sleeved t-shirt on for two reasons. One, to protect my skin, and, two, to show off the front, which featured an upside-down U.S. flag with the words "Bright shining lie" written below the flag. The shirt was produced by the skate company Alien Workshop, which is owned by friends of mine. I doubt I would wear the shirt in public these days.

We hung out in the heat, listened to some people speak, and hopped back in the van for our return trip. To this day, I remember little about the specifics of the event in D.C. that miserable weekend, but I still have fond memories of the trip. It brought us all together.|||110965746168798469|||Fightin' for the cause