A red poster advertising the National Women’s Liberation caught the attention of Kristy Sanchez as she walked on the Plaza of the Americas.
Sanchez, happy to see a feminist organization involved on campus, approached the table.
The National Women’s Liberation was one of the many progressive organizations that participated in the annual Radical Rush on Plaza of the Americas on Wednesday. The organizations tabled to advocate their ideas and recruit new volunteers, said James Schmidt, a coordinator for the Civic Media Center, located at 433 S Main St.
“It’s important for anyone to stand for what they believe,” Sanchez, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, said. “You can say you believe in something but if you don’t go out and act on it, you are never going to see the change that you want.”
Sanchez, who aspires to become a politician, said she is looking forward to helping with the National Women’s Liberation’s upcoming projects, like providing free tampons across campus and making emergency contraception pills available in vending machines.
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, which conducts interviews and puts them in UF public library archives, was also tabling. The program is working on projects to document the history of African-Americans, Latinos, veterans and more, said Sandra Romero, a coordinator with the program’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities project.
Other organizations included the Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Alachua County Labor Coalition.
Schmidt said people are taking civic action with more urgency as a response to President Donald Trump’s administration. He said Radical Rush was meant to close the gap between the student population and town residents.
“We want to introduce students to wider communities,” he said. “Specifically, the progressive activist community.”
