"We must love and protect each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains." -- Assata Shakur

It has been a long week and very stressful time to be a New Yorker and a citizen of the free world. Walking to work early this morning, seeing the streets of midtown just waking up as I normally do, something felt off. I stopped by my usual breakfast cart and even though I didn't order my usual "pan con mantequilla" (bread with butter), I wished my two morning pals, a safe day.

Because when I walked by Valentino this morning, that's when it really hit me. Today was the end of an era, the beginning of a four-year war on hope, change and love. We owe it to ourselves that for everything Obama and this country fought to build these last eight years, to don our best camouflage and fight the good fight to preserve our rights to love and marry whomever we choose, the rights of our pussies and our rights for racial and economic justice and freedom. This is a salute to the brave women and men who will be in the trenches protesting tomorrow and doing the right thing by using your voices to be heard in order to create change in our communities -- you are love.

So love and blessings to you and always remember the force is with us, the children of change.