The Brides’ March, returns as a living legacy of resistance and remembrance
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 25th Annual Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk, known as the Brides’ March, returns as a living legacy of resistance and remembrance.
The event began in 2000 when Josie Ashton, a Criminal Justice student and Alpha Phi Sigma member at Florida International University, ran a 5K in her wedding gown in memory of Gladys Ricart, a bride killed by a jealous ex-boyfriend, to protest domestic violence. In 2001, Ashton used the high-profile murder to raise awareness by walking 1,300 miles in her wedding gown, turning the journey into her criminal justice internship at FIU.
Since then, The Bride’s March has grown into an international movement, led by the Ricart family, survivors of violent crimes, families, and allies who demand justice, healing, and education.
This year marks 25 years of survivor-led truth-telling and resilience, with themes of Living Legacy, Survive Your Feelings, and 100MenRising. Participants will walk in wedding gowns—symbolizing stolen joy—or in black to mourn countless victims, including Gladys Ricart, Shirley Rodriguez, and Arianna Reyes Gomez.
The day will feature vigils, interactive healing spaces, and urgent calls for action against the epidemic of domestic and intimate partner violence. In addition, the week leading up to the March will include a Week of Action, during which elected officials, community members, partners, and the press are invited to raise awareness by amplifying the message, spreading the word on their platforms, and inviting organizers and survivors to share their stories.
VISUALS:
● Hundreds of marchers dressed in white gowns and black attire.
● Family members, survivors, and advocates speaking at sites of remembrance.
● Community leaders, elected officials, and men marching in solidarity under #100MenRising.
● A sea of gowns flowing through city streets as both mourning and mobilization.
WHEN & WHERE:
We are also asking media partners to join us along the March route to witness key moments and help amplify the urgency of this movement:
Friday, September 26, 2025
● 8:00 AM – Gathering at Holyrood Episcopal Church, 715 West 179th Street, Washington Heights.
● 9:30 AM – Opening ceremony and survivor-led program.
● 10:30 AM – March begins through Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Bronx.
● Multiple stops at sites of violence and remembrance, concluding with a closing program at Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center in El Barrio.
WHY:
For 25 years, the Brides’ March has stood as an unbroken tradition of love, grief, and courage. It is both a memorial and a movement—uplifting the names of those lost, affirming the voices of survivors, and demanding a future free from domestic violence.
Myhosi (Josie) Ashton
Josie Ashton Counseling and Coaching
+1 754-801-3868
email us here
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