The Pledge Podcast

Laura Misumi, a fourth generation Japanese American, will give you hope! With her innovative strategy for organizing and mobilizing Asian Americans in Michigan, she is building community and fostering lasting political engagement. She will also open your eyes to the ways in which Japanese Americans have been fighting for justice for decades. Laura’s organization, Rising Voices for Asian American Families, is targeting 183,000 Asian American voters in carefully selected counties in this very important swing state. It’s an effort and a constituency that absolutely have the capacity to change the outcome of the State and Federal elections.

Guests:

• Laura Misumi (Managing Director, Detroit Action and Executive Director, Rising Voices of Asian American Families)
• Munni Rahman (Canvasser)
• Branden Snyder (Executive Director, Detroit Action)

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-Website: https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/

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As a sixteen year old growing up outside Detroit, Vanessa Velazquez 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.

Now, as the Field Director for Detroit Action, Vanessa is managing a team of organizers working nonstop to reach 150,000 potential voters in their critical swing state. Their goal goes far beyond getting the residents to vote--they’re building power and a voting culture that can transform the political context and guarantee people’s basic rights--rights like secure housing and government accountability. Of course, voting in November is a crucial first step!

Guest: Vanessa Velazquez--Field Director for Detroit Action

Find Us Online:

-Website: https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/

-Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJVtjN

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PledgetoAct

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/PledgePodcast

In this episode we move to Michigan, where a group of novice activists got fed up with gerrymandered districts with politicians who were unaccountable to the people, and decided to do something about it.

Nancy Wang is the Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, the nonprofit organization that led the 2018 campaign to defeat gerrymandering in Michigan, but that was never her plan. Responding to a Facebook post from a stranger, Nancy became one of the thousands of volunteers throughout the state to get involved. As an attorney, 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.

Listen and feel hopeful. People-power is real!

Guests

• Nancy Wang is the Executive Director and a founding member of Voters Not Politicians. As a volunteer, Nancy led the policy committee that wrote the constitutional amendment language with input from the public, and served as Board President during the Proposal 2 campaign. @NancyWangVotes
• Katie Fahey is the Co-Founder and Executive Director at The People. She started the grassroots campaign that ultimately became Voters Not Politicians. @KTeaFahey
• Art Reyes III is the founding Executive Director of We The People Michigan. He was born and raised in Flint, MI and hails from three generations of proud UAW members. @ArtReyesIII

Find Us Online

-Website: https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/

-Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJVtjN

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PledgetoAct

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/PledgePodcast

In the second episode featuring Sheena Meade and the fight to restore voting rights to returning citizens in Florida, we see how persevering in the face of expected and unexpected obstacles is a crucial part of making our democracy work. The amazing victory of Florida’s Amendment Four in 2018 was just the beginning of a long and ongoing battle to give people back their voice.

As Hedrick Smith says, “Democracy is a participant sport. It’s not a spectator sport.” For Desmond and Sheena, democracy is also about a focus on people and their needs. This took on new meaning as COVID-19 began to impact their community.

Find Us Online

-Website: https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/

-Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJVtjN

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PledgetoAct

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/PledgePodcast

This episode tells Ellen Freidin’s story of leading a successful gerrymandering reform campaign in Florida, and then fighting to make sure the new electoral maps were drawn fairly. Ellen’s story took place over several years, starting with her discovery of how damaging gerrymandered districts were to Florida’s democracy, and 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!

Find Us Online

-Website: https://www.thepledgepodcast.com/

-Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJVtjN

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PledgetoAct

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/PledgePodcast