Now is the Moment
The Pledge Podcast
Katrina Rogers's story shows us the potentially devastating impact of abortion restrictions on lower-income people and people of color. We also hear from Kim O’Brien, a white, economically secure professional, whose story shows the burden that restrictive abortion laws impose on parents that may already be suffering - and also shows that when the state takes away abortion rights, it’s really just taking away the right to choose from the people with fewer resources.
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Persevere with Dignity and Grace
The Pledge Podcast
Laura Misumi, a fourth generation Japanese American, has an innovative strategy for organizing and mobilizing Asian Americans in Michigan while building community and fostering lasting political engagement. She will open your eyes to the ways in which Japanese Americans have been fighting for justice for decades. Laura’s organization is targeting 183,000 Asian American voters in this very important swing state. They absolutely have the capacity to change the outcome of the State and Federal elections!
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Let's Get Out There!
The Pledge Podcast
As a sixteen year old growing up outside Detroit, Vanessa Velazquez’s was shocked by her family’s outrageous water bill. After helping her mom pay the bill, she questioned the bigger political context of social justice issues in her city. In Let’s Get Out There, we learn how that experience motivated her to study political science at Michigan State, and end up as an organizer in the Detroit area fighting to do something about it.
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It Mattered! Gerrymander Reform in Michigan
The Pledge Podcast
Nancy Wang is the Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, which led the 2018 campaign to defeat gerrymandering in Michigan. That was never her plan! Responding to a Facebook post from a stranger, Nancy became one of the thousands of volunteers to get involved. She ended up leading the policy committee that drafted the new amendment. Eventually she left her job teaching law at the University of Michigan to head up the organization full-time.
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When People Have Power
The Pledge Podcast
Ellen Freidin led a successful gerrymandering reform campaign in Florida, and then fought to make sure the new electoral maps were drawn fairly. Her story took place over several years, starting with discovering how damaging gerrymandered districts were to Florida’s democracy, through the painstaking process of crafting a redistricting process that could honor a truly diverse group of stakeholders. Ellen asked many questions, she listened, and she persevered. Listen and remind yourself what’s possible
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This is Bigger than Us: Sheena Meade Part 2
The Pledge Podcast
In the second episode featuring Sheena Meade, we see how persevering in the face of expected and unexpected obstacles is a crucial part of making our democracy work.
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Releasing the Chains of our Ancestors
The Pledge Podcast
Sheena Meade was instrumental in the passage of Florida’s 2018 Amendment 4, restoring the right to vote to 1.4 million citizens.
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Season Three Trailer
The Pledge Podcast
Starting August 6th, we are bringing stories of women from 3 different states determined to secure voting rights for every citizen. The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed so many of us, making these stories of action are more important than ever. This season we are also excited to collaborate with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Hedrick Smith to provide broader context for each episode.
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The Blessing of All This Madness
The Pledge Podcast
In this final episode of Season 2, we meet a dedicated group of chef-activists who have created a new recipe for change in Virginia, without ever leaving their home in state of Vermont. Their solution is instructive, inspiring, and delicious!
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My Whole World Shifted
The Pledge Podcast
Three women—Kathryn Laughon, Althea Laughon-Worrell, and Miss Katrina Turner—had their worlds shifted by the events surrounding the hate rallies in Charlottesville, VA in August 2017. Hear their stories of how they were affected, and how it has motivated them to fight for justice in their communities.
info_outlineFor this second episode of the mini-bonus season of the Pledge, we’re going to hear an interview with Dr. Joyce Ladner, from the podcast Democracy Works. As someone who is relatively new to activism, I’m inspired and humbled by those who’ve come before me - who have blazed trails by dedicating their lives to ending injustice. In 1963, at just 19, civil rights activist Joyce Ladner helped organize the March on Washington. A member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1950s and 60s, Dr. Ladner was mentored by Medgar Evers, but was expelled from Jackson State University in Mississippi for participating in a sit-in. And even though she was an excellent student and knew her civics, she failed Mississippi’s voter literacy test three times. Everyone who was black failed.
Our thanks to Democracy Works for sharing this fascinating interview with our community of listener activists. Democracy Works, created by The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University, aims to rise above partisan politics and the daily news grind to take a broader look at issues impacting democracy. I hope you find this interview with Joyce Ladner as inspiring as I did!