Mobilizing Against Amendment One in Louisiana
Dear Pledge Listeners:
Although I know many of you are feeling the same anxiety that I am about our upcoming election, I hope you will take 20 minutes to listen to this story from Louisiana, the day after yet another hurricane tore through the state. Katrina Rogers tells us about her efforts to mobilize people in Louisiana to protect the few remaining abortion rights in Louisiana, even if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Her story will give you a moment to feel positive about the very real ways that our democracy is vibrant, even if we are still fighting battles we thought we had won almost 50 years ago.
"The Moment is Now" takes us to the grassroots campaign centered on reproductive justice, which means that people should be able to decide for themselves if, when, and how to have children. In addition to learning Katrina's story about the potentially devastating impact of Amendment One on lower-income people and people of color, we hear from Kim O’Brien. Kim, a white, economically secure professional, shares her story of being forced to go out of state to terminate a pregnancy after she learned that the child she and her husband were eagerly expecting would have severe neurological defects. Her story gives perspective on the burden that restrictive abortion laws impose on parents that may already be suffering, but it 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.
Episode Seven: “Now is the Moment”
I am so grateful to all of you for listening to The Pledge. I hope you have enjoyed the stories and found them as hopeful as I have, even as we have highlighted the very real struggles that make our collective activism so crucial to our democracy today.
When I started The Pledge in 2018, I had a strong sense that a culture of widespread activism was emerging, and I wanted to interview women activists who had found fulfillment and power in serving their broader community. I believe this change has indeed come to pass, and I have been so honored that so many amazing activists have taken the time to share their stories with me - and that you have taken the time to listen. I am also encouraged by all of the passion and commitment I see around me to make our democracy stronger than ever - by the millions of letters, postcards, texts and phone calls - all to encourage and support people to vote. We are already seeing enormous turnout numbers for the election next week, and I firmly believe that the energy, engagement, and sense of empowerment seeded in this tumultuous time will lead to lasting change. Thank you so much for being a part of all of it.
See you on the other side of this long anticipated election!
Allison