The Season 3 Trailer: The Fight for Every Vote

In the past four years, we have seen both critical progress and set-backs with voting and voter empowerment across the country.  Starting August 6th, we are bringing stories of women from 3 different states determined to secure voting rights for every citizen.

Hey Pledge Listeners!

I’m thrilled to be launching Season 3. It’s been an interesting and challenging year so far--for all the reasons you know too well. But working on The Pledge Podcast has kept me inspired, and I am looking forward to sharing it with you. I’ve been able to reach out to some amazing, determined women who remind me that taking action is key to relieving anxiety. 

Episode 1 features Sheena Meade and the story of her work as an organizer and participant in the 2018 Amendment 4 campaign in Florida - restoring voting rights to 1.4 million formerly incarcerated people.

We will be starting with three episodes from Florida and then we’ll be moving on to Michigan. We’ll be talking about expanding the vote, fighting gerrymandering, and what it means to truly build community power, beyond just getting out the vote. I hope these stories will help you keep up the energy and motivation we all need to keep building our democracy in this election year, and beyond.

More soon. Until then, stay strong and stick with your pledge.

Onward!

Allison

Pandemics--Thoughts about moving forward

Dear Pledge Listeners,

Since my last newsletter, the country, in fact the world, has confronted two deadly pandemics--Covid 19 and Racism. In response to both, we have seen both extreme hatred and ugliness as well as extraordinary moments of kindness, courage, and people coming together. It has been a powerful, soul-shaking time.

Perhaps as a result, there are growing demands for true transformation at all levels, from our public security systems to the racism deep within each of us who lives in and conforms to a white supremacist society. I’m working hard to learn and to listen. Here are some resources that I have found to be powerful and informative, although I know I have barely scratched the surface: 

• For an overview of the situation and the three essential components for moving forward, read Michelle Alexander’s powerful and thought-provoking op-ed in the New York Times, “American, This is your chance.”

• To see U.S. history through a more critical lens and, in my experience, more honest treatment than we might have learned in school, listen to the podcast, Scene on Radio. Every episode of every season of this podcast has challenged what I thought I knew about our society. The current Season 4, “The land that never has been yet,” continues to blow my mind about what I thought I knew about American history (and I was an American Studies major!) Season 2, “Seeing White” another great series that explores where the concept of “whiteness” even comes from.

• Code Switch is another great podcast that addresses race. A recent episode, “A Decade of Watching Black People Die,” is a poignant and informative 22-minutes. They bring back an essay from 2015 by Jamil Smith, "What Does Seeing Black Men Die Do for You?" Sadly, it still is relevant. After hearing the older essay, they bring it to the present. This helped me connect todays horrors with the ongoing legacy of police brutality targeted at black people.

• I’ve already recommended the 1619 Project from the New York Times. It just won a Pulitzer Prize and the podcast adds dimensions of voices and sound to the articles that will have you transfixed even if you have already read every word.  

• As for The Pledge, I recently re-listened to and was inspired by the episode on juvenile justice reform with Valerie Slater and her team at RISE for Youth, “You Saw His Greatness. It is exciting to see the work already well underway in transforming the juvenile justice system. 

• Finally, I also am reminded of the conversations I had with Kathryn, Althea and Miss. Katrina in “My Whole World Shifted” about the Charlottesville police presence during the white supremacists rallies. The images on the news today reinforce their words.

Season 3 of The Pledge is in production. Once again, I have the privilege of speaking to inspiring strong women. You can look forward to learning about how these women have stepped up to fight for voting rights in the states of Florida, Michigan and North Dakota. Everything from fighting to end gerrymandering to passing the long overdue Florida Amendment 4 that returned the vote to formerly incarcerated citizens. It’s a big year, and I’m excited for you to hear, once again, what’s possible when we act.

With deep sadness for the suffering and with hope that this suffering will hasten transformation.

Allison

If you can, get involved now!

Dear Pledge Listeners,

Like you, I am stunned. COVID 19 brings a new level of shock, and in many ways demonstrates more clearly than ever, the fatal consequences of our broken political system. I know that for many, the economic, health, and family responsibilities are causing great stress and making enormous demands on time and attention. I am grateful for the herculean efforts of many to fight this pandemic, to help those who are vulnerable and suffering, and to manage raising children given the new challenges. 

Read about Allison and The Pledge in Podcast Magazine!

For me, it helps to focus my attention away from the scary news and toward the extraordinary evidence that we have what it takes to mend the system and move into a better future. I see it in the healthcare workers tirelessly putting their lives on the line despite the meager resources available, in the young people volunteering to buy groceries for the elderly, and in the political action that has seamlessly moved online. 

But while we are struggling to stay healthy and protect our communities and small businesses, our democracy remains under attack. Those who have tried to suppress the vote in the past are finding new ways to disenfranchise voters by attempting to thwart the successful drives to increase registration, and even by trying to block voting by mail in the midst of the pandemic.

Those of us with less pressing personal responsibilities, or who even find ourselves with more time on our hands, owe it to those who can’t to double down and get engaged to protect our democracy. So here are a few ideas and some news about The Pledge.

Some Ways to Stay Involved

If you have time, there are plenty of groups providing virtual opportunities and guidance for taking action. Our voices are as important as ever, if not more! Here are a few links to organizations we’ve learned about on previous episodes of The Pledge that could put you to work right away!

Sister District Virtual Organizing Hub: (Season 2, The Blessing of All This Madness.) In the last episode of Season 2, We met a Sister District group in Vermont helping candidates in Virginia. Their impact helped to transform the Virginia State Legislature in 2018, and the dividends for the environment and, of course, passage of the ERA, are significant. Find a Sister District group near you, or not near you, and help them help candidates in key states.

Virtual Organizing with Swing Left: (Bonus Season, What Change Really Means). In this episode I shared my story of getting involved with Swing Left. Swing Left has done a fabulous of job of connecting volunteers to meaningful and impactful work. Take a look at the link above which is specifically focused on action and COVID 19.

Movement Voter Project’s Pandemic Community Fund--This is group that I have not featured yet, but they have been connecting me to some amazing stories for Season 3. Movement Voter Project supports grassroots organizers throughout the country doing crucial work to protect everyone’s vote and motivate people to use that vote. Their Pandemic Community Fund helps those groups transform their work online. Please consider making a donation, or organize an online fundraising effort.

News About The Pledge Podcast—Season 3 Coming Soon!

I’m pleased to announce that I have started Season 3 and am hoping to launch on Independence Day with fireworks. So far, my interviews are by phone, but my interviewees are as inspiring as ever. I’m also excited to have brought on the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Hedrick Smith as an advisor and contributor. Hedrick recently released a powerful documentary, Democracy Rebellion, which paves the way for many of my stories. I will be focusing on protecting the vote in the states of Florida, Michigan and North Dakota. Stay tuned, and now more than ever, stick with your pledge!

Episode 3: If I don’t say anything, nobody says anything!

They are anti-public, they are anti governance, they are anti-labor unions, they are anti-worker, they are anti-public education. They want states to divest in all public works.

—Professor Bethany Letiecq

Dear Pledge Listeners,

I’m excited to share today’s episode of The Pledge, the first of two stories that explore the threat of dark money to higher education and to our democracy. In this episode, we learn how Bethany Letiecq persevered through her struggles as a teenager, got a PhD, and now devotes her research and her activism to fighting for justice for marginalized communities. She also refuses to ignore the growing but hidden influence of dark money at George Mason University in Virginia where she teaches. The next episode will feature a student who has worked with Bethany on the same issue. These two women just blow me away with their energy and dedication to taking on powerful forces to protect academic integrity. I am sure you will be similarly inspired!

This issue was a real eye-opener for me. Not too long ago my friend invited me to an evening with Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains, which I highly recommend - in ADDITION to listening! I started to get an understanding of how nefarious the Koch brothers’ and other libertarians’ strategy of taking over higher education is, and why it’s such a threat to our democracy. I also learned about how people were fighting back. UnKoch My Campus is one of the leading organizations supporting universities around the country, so I worked with them to help find the amazing activists featured in these episodes.. Please listen, share, and let me know what you think! I have also posted resources on my website if you would like to learn more.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to learn from these inspiring activists, tell their stories, and have people like you listen. Thank you to all my Pledge listeners for your support and for all of the encouraging feedback and financial contributions I have received. I hope this Thanksgiving brings you a moment of gratitude for what’s best about our country, the amazing people taking action all around us, and an opportunity for reflection on what you can do to keep things moving forward.

Stay strong and stick with your pledge!

Allison

What the Heck? Why is this not a thing?

Dear Pledge Listeners,

I am so excited to announce that Season 2 is now live! Let me start by thanking all of you who contributed financially to help keep The Pledge Podcast going. Your contributions and support got me to Virginia and made possible the resulting line-up of amazing stories for Season 2. Thank you so much for your support! (For the rest of you, it’s not too late to contribute!)

Now, please listen and share in every way you can! Spreading the word is the next step for making The Pledge a sustainable resource, and for spreading the hope and inspiration that comes from the stories of incredible, dedicated activists we bring you in every episode.

This first episode features Lisa Sales fighting to finally ratify the ERA in Virginia. It couldn’t be more timely: the Virginia election that is less than 2 weeks away. Lisa’s powerful story illustrates how crucial it is both personally for millions of women, and politically for equality in our country, to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified. This upcoming election could make all the difference - please see our website for ways you can help get out the vote in Virginia and make it all happen.

“I have to think that everything I've been through, there’s a reason. I know that sounds funny, but there's a reason that I experienced those things and that's propelled me here.”

With enormous gratitude for your support!

Allison

P.S.

Remind your friends to sign up for this newsletter at PledgePodcast.com. And please be sure to review the podcast. It makes a difference!

Notes from a Power-ful Trip to Virginia

Power is a big theme that I ran into again and again during my interviews in Virginia. I heard a lot about forms of Power that are hurting people—abuses by the police in Richmond and Charlottesville, Koch Brother money in higher education, utilities that build pipelines in poorer neighborhoods. But I also saw the power of people working together to make Virginia and our world better; using the power of their collective voice and action to overcome harmful and dangerous policies.

Season 2 of The Pledge Podcast will focus on the promise of people working together across ages, race, and even party to use their collective power on specific issues in Virginia. Once again I am primarily bringing you stories of inspiring women. Women pledging to protect their democracy by working on issues they are passionate about. You can look forward to learning how:

• Virginia could be the last state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment for the U.S. Constitution and, thanks to groups like VA Ratify ERA, the time could be now. The VA General Assembly needs just one more “yes” vote to make it happen, so the November 2019 Elections are HUGELY important.

• Virginia could be the first state to truly transform Juvenile Justice, thanks to https://www.riseforyouth.org.

• Virginia climate activists can be a model for all of us in collaborating across the political divide to combat global warming.

• Virginia’s George Mason University has been forced to respond to faculty and student activists standing up to dark private money’s efforts to take over our public higher education institutions.

• AND MORE!

I AM HOPING TO TURN AROUND THESE STORIES QUICKLY SO STAY TUNED FOR RELEASE DATES.

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Awards!

I am so excited to announce that we are a nominee for a People’s Choice Podcast Award. Thank you to everyone who voted for The Pledge. The winner will be announced Sunday September 29th. Fingers crossed!

The Pledge Podcast also received an honorable mention for the Civvy’s Awards, which honor organizations working to “serve their nation and their neighbors through collaborative, creative efforts that inspire, unite and facilitate civic participation.” Go team!

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Have you donated yet? THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to those who have donated to support Season Two, and I hope you are enjoying your stylish Pledge Podcast pins! You made my trip to Virginia possible. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please consider sending a donation of any size to help support this project. If all of our listeners donate even a small amount, we will reach my goal. Please go to https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/donate.

How You can Help The Pledge

Dear Pledge Friends and Listeners:

Happy Almost Independence Day! I launched The Pledge Podcast on Presidents Day, about five months ago, and now, on the 4th of July, I already have a core group of hundreds of regular listeners, thousands of downloads, and inspiring feedback. Thanks to all of you for being a part of this amazing adventure!

But here’s the thing. As we move into Season Two, we need to find funding to support our small production team, travel and equipment budgets, and promotion to help build the listener community. 

If you would be willing to help support Season Two of The Pledge, please consider contributing through my Fundly Page. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and all donors will be sent a Pledge Podcast button as a thank-you gift. Donors of $200 or more will also receive a stylish Pledge Podcast t-shirt, and all donors of $2500 or more will be interviewed for a special episode of The Pledge. And to the amazing people who have already donated, thank you!

I am trying to raise $25,000 to cover expenses for the next season, which feels like a modest budget for my incredible team but also a daunting fundraising goal - so I need your help!

What can you expect in Season Two? In this crucial election year, we will be featuring stories celebrating resilience and courage. Resilience is the strength to keep fighting, even when the odds are long, and to take defeat in stride on the long road to victory. Courage is the incredible spirit it takes to stand up to large, well-funded, and often scary forces, and fight for your rights as a citizen. We will be featuring some veteran activists who can share their perspective on the long view of history, along with young activists just finding their voices standing up to the NRA and the Koch takeover of college campuses and state and local politics. We have great leads for inspiring stories that you will want to hear as the antidote to the cynicism and nastiness of national politics - but we need your help to make it a reality.

To date, I have self-funded this project, which has been a true labor of love but not a sustainable business model! I am still pursuing foundation funding and possible partnerships with activist organizations, which would allow The Pledge to grow into a true network of activists around shared stories and mutual inspiration. The more you, as listeners, show your dedication and support, the more attractive the project will be for potential outside funding sources and partners.

So please visit my Fundly Page and help me make Season Two of The Pledge a reality. If all of our listeners donate what they can it will make a huge difference. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Allison

Allison with Ezra and Julia just before launch!

What Change Really Means

Hi Pledge Listeners!

I’m excited and a little nervous to announce the release of my latest episode featuring… me. As I started this podcast and my own activist journey around the midterm elections, I decided to track my own experiences as a way of honestly sharing and demystifying what it’s like to start to organize—the highs, the lows, the questioning and ultimate rewards around getting engaged. Although I never would have expected it even a few months earlier, I became the Southeast Regional Coordinator for Swing Left. I dedicated my energy and rallied my friends around the congressional campaign of Tabitha Isner of Alabama. Listen to the episode and join me through some self-discovery, hard work, frustration and inspiration.

This is the first of three episodes of what I’m calling a bonus mini-season of The Pledge. In two weeks I’ll be posting a guest interview from the podcast Democracy Works with civil rights legend Joyce Ladner. I think you will appreciate what she has to say!

Thanks as always for listening and for spreading the word. This is about all of us taking the steps we have to take to strengthen our democracy.

With gratitude,

Allison

Change is certainly never going to happen if we don't believe it's possible...we have to go down and be part of this movement.

Audio Diary, October 2018

Allison, Melanie and Shana canvassing with Swing Left

"I'm angry, I'm not scared" - The Pledge Podcast #6

Dear Pledge Listeners,

I'm sending this last newsletter from Birmingham, where I had the honor of moderating a panel for Emerge Alabama featuring several of the amazing women featured on The Pledge—the perfect way to end this first season. More on that later! Today I’m so excited to share with you Mary Wilson's story: "I'm angry. I'm not scared." 

Mary Wilson spent most of her life keeping her thoughts under wraps, only taking them out on the piano keys. This was what she knew was necessary to protect her husband's career and their family's livelihood. But after her husband was unjustly laid off, she realized it was time to speak her mind and get politically involved. A self-defined "feisty old broad", Mary is not afraid to proudly confront people who want her to keep her political views to herself. 

I loved meeting Mary. Her resolve, her candor, and her humor show the beauty and power of being authentically yourself. Enjoy!

“I'm a feisty old broad. Don't mess with me.”

—Mary S. Wilson

Mary Wilson’s story is the final regular episode to Season 1 of The Pledge — but stay tuned! I'm working on a bonus episode and will be in touch about plans for Season 2.

Until then, stay strong and stick with your pledge!

Allison

Meet Nancy Deabler in Episode 5: “Rally up!”

Dear Pledge Listeners,

I am so excited to share with you Nancy Deabler’s story. She was the woman who most surprised me.

A traditional White, Southern woman, Nancy breaks every stereotype. She demonstrates what it means to link her liberal politics to her Christian values, and to have these values inform every part of her life. Nancy reminds us that we have to act now — our democracy, and Alabama's children, can’t wait.

Thank you so much for being part of the Pledge Podcast community. I am thrilled to have had over 1500 downloads so far, along with numerous social media posts, endorsements, and positive reviews. It’s a lot of listening, but we need many times that number to help secure funding for a second season of The Pledge. Please help us get the stories of these inspiring activists to more people, and give our democracy a much-needed shot in the arm.

Keep listening and sharing, and tell your friends to subscribe, listen, and be inspired to take action now! Together, we will strengthen our democracy.

Allison Daskal Hausman, Producer and Host

“This is real. This is not a reality show that you can turn the volume down, or turn the TV off, and it'll go away. He's there and our future is very much at stake.”

—Nancy Deabler

Share, share, share

Please remind your friends to sign up for this newsletter at PledgePodcast.com.

Keep up the endorsements, likes, tweets, and other social media postings. If you have other ideas for spreading the word please get in touch!

Listen to The Pledge Episode #4 —How Do You Break That Mentality?

Episode Four of The Pledge introduces Ashley Smith. Ashley ran to become a District Judge in rural Lowndes County, Alabama, where the court system reflects the same all-white power structure it has since before the civil rights movement. Inspired by her grandfather and dedicated to providing justice for everyone regardless of race, Ashley drove hundreds of miles and shook thousands of hands to get her message out.

Listen to The Pledge as Ashley tells her story of the ongoing struggle for equal rights and justice in the footsteps of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.

“If you come together as a collective then you have more power than the people that are in power, because they're only in power because of you.”

- Ashley Smith

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If you can think of other people you haven’t told about The Pledge, please forward them this email. Ask them to listen to the 20-minute episodes for a quick reminder of what keeps our democracy is alive. They can also sign up for this newsletter at ThePledgePodcast.com.

Keep up the endorsements, likes, tweets, and other social media postings. If you have other ideas for spreading the word please get in touch!

Gratefully,

Allison Daskal Hausman, Producer and Host

Episode Three of The Pledge is now available!

Episode Three of The Pledge introduces Oni Williams. Oni lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Birmingham where she regularly visits barbershops and strip clubs to speak with members of the community to inform them of their rights and encourage them to speak out. Oni explains that everyone has a voice, and everyone has a right to hold their leaders accountable.

Listen to The Pledge as Oni tells the her story of how she came to believe in her own responsibility to speak out and take action.

“Society has told them they don't have a right to hold these people accountable. But they do.”

—Oni Williams

A Plea to our Listeners:

I appreciate all of the feedback and encouragement from so many of you who have felt inspired and motivated by the stories in The Pledge. I still need your help to spread the word to new listeners and grow our community of activists. We don’t have the resources to advertise, so we need you telling people—email, social media postings, and the endorsements of listeners.

Would you please forward this email to three of your friends (or more!) who would be interested in learning about women fighting for change in Alabama? Ask them to listen to the 20-minute episodes for a quick reminder of what keeps our democracy is alive, despite the barrage of discouraging headlines. They can also sign up for this newsletter at ThePledgePodcast.com.

Keep up the endorsements, likes, tweets, and other social media postings. If you have other ideas for spreading the word please get in touch!

Gratefully,

Allison Daskal Hausman, Producer and Host

Episode Two of The Pledge is now available!

Episode Two introduces us to Stacie Propst, the Director of Emerge Alabama, who is training and supporting a generation of first-time woman candidates in Alabama. Growing up, Stacie fit in well with her predominately anti-feminist, republican peers, but she sensed something was wrong with how outsiders were treated and how women were expected to behave. Now, Stacie is certain that the future of Alabama, and the country, depends on more women gaining political power and breaking up the status quo. Listen to The Pledge as Stacie shares the story of her own political evolution, and what keeps her working every day to strengthen democracy in Alabama.

“I do know that right now to save our democracy you better put some people in office who care about that democracy. And that is these women that I'm talking to every day. “

- Stacie Probst

Subscribe to The Pledge now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or Stitcher to get this episode and all future episodes as soon as they are available. And please help us spread the word to new listeners everywhere!

With hope for our power together,

Allison Daskal Hausman, Producer and Host

The Pledge Podcast is LIVE!

Listen, rate and review now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or Stitcher!

Episode One tells the story of Elizabeth, who found her political voice in the Alabama special election for Senate and just keeps fighting for change. Listen to The Pledge as we explore what motivates this inspiring and tireless activist, and follow her evolution as a political force in her state.

“Yes I get frustrated when I watch the news. But I have an avenue to turn that into something positive because I'm involved because I stay engaged.”

-Elizabeth Rappaport Shannon

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The Pledge Podcast explores political activism through short audio portraits. We call it The Pledge because it celebrates activism as a commitment to the hard work of democracy. Making this pledge means taking risks, speaking out, working hard and fighting day after day. It’s not easy, and success is often slow and never guaranteed. But making a commitment—a pledge—can motivate us to stay engaged for the long haul, which is the only way to truly make change.