For the first time, the Women's March Santa Maria Valley and Santa Barbara went from the streets to online.
Both organizations teamed up to present a virtual march with the slogan: "We lead. We heal. We transform."
This year's march featured Dolores Huerta, who co-founded of United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, and others.
The hosts of the march say they wanted to honor local women's leadership in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"A lot of times, Santa Maria gets looked over and passed by, so we're important too and there's a lot of really great things that happen here in Santa Maria, and it's really important that we highlight that," said Audy Macdonald, of Women's March Santa Maria Valley.
"We have much to look forward to in 2021, and women will continue to lead the way over the next year," said co-host of the event, Lata Murti.
In addition to sign language interpreters, the virtual event also included interpreters for Spanish and Mixteco speakers.
