How one Facebook post led to changing the Michigan state constitution.
Dear Pledge Listeners:
I am so excited to share this Michigan story with all of you. I found it to be 100% inspiring. It tells a story of what is possible when people take responsibility for their own democracy, and it happened just recently in 2018!
Episode Four, “It Mattered! Gerrymander Reform in Michigan”
In our last episode we learned about a successful effort to combat gerrymandering in Florida. Now we move to Michigan, where a group of novice activists got fed up with gerrymandered districts where politicians 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 Katie Fahey (whom she didn’t even know!), 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.
Keep the faith!
Allison
We are proud to announce that The Pledge has hit 10,000 downloads! We are amazed and humbled that our stories keep bringing people back to listen for more. Thank you for being one of those listeners! If you are looking for other ways of supporting the podcast, please consider donating.
What you are doing to engage in our democracy. Have you made a donation? Have you text-banked? Have you signed up to be a poll worker? Sharing what you are doing will help other people do something too.
Share your pledges and ideas by leaving us a voicemail at
617-663-8668