And to all of the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams. ~Hillary Clinton
June 24, 2022.
“Dobbs is out.”
I remember looking at my phone. Standing, dumbstruck, on a Lake Michigan beach.
It had been a pretty regular summer day, honestly. There certainly hadn’t been anything that would tip you off to the fact that, by sunset, you’d have lost basic, fundamental constitutional rights.
But that’s exactly what happened. And – even though a “leaked” opinion had warned us of the impending decision – the shock of it imprinted that moment in my brain.
I can hear the wind. I can see the water – it was especially calm, which felt wrong. I can feel every step of the silent walk I took. And every fresh tear.
Very few of my memories are so vivid that I can reach out and touch them. The ones that you can play, rewind, and play back in slow motion. Where you can feel, and taste, and hear them.
June 24, 2022 is one of those memories.
November 9, 2016 is another.
On November 9, I sat in my parked car, crying into my coffee as I listened to the most qualified person to ever have run for the presidency concede. I practically wailed as I heard her tell all the little girls to keep dreaming.
It was in the quiet moments after I finished listening to Hillary’s speech that I made myself a promise: I would never again assume the worst couldn’t happen (it can, and it has). And I would never again sit on the sidelines.
I would never again assume it was for someone else to organize. For someone else to call. For someone else to learn.
For someone else.
For so long I had assumed that I wasn’t necessary – that someone somewhere with a spreadsheet and an advanced degree had all this figured out. That my help wouldn’t amount to much anyway, so why bother?
As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one who thought that whatever she could contribute wasn’t important enough to share.
And I wasn’t the only one who promised herself that she’d get off the sidelines.
In the weeks that came after, I met hundreds – literally hundreds – of women just like me. We’d been jarred awake, and we’ve not slept since.
That those two memories are so vivid is fitting, I suppose, because even though six years separates them, they are linked. There’s a direct line from Hillary’s loss to Dobbs. Had Trump not been president, he’d not have appointed the conservative justices that gave them the votes they needed to overturn Roe.
Elections have consequences, as they say.
And those little girls that Hillary was talking to in 2016? They are tween and teenagers now. The loss of Roe falls especially hard on their shoulders.
And, just as in 2016, we’ve seen the rise of a brand new group of activists that were jarred awake. Not by an election. But by a decision made by a bunch of unelected justices who relished the opportunity to strip fundamental rights from women.
A few weeks after Dobbs came down, a woman sent me an email out of the blue.
I’ve just started a group of new activists, she explained. Could you talk at one of our events?
Of course, I replied. Tell me about the group. What motivated all of you to get together?
Her response was simple.
One word that spoke volumes.
Dobbs.
So this week, as we mark the one year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I’ll be thinking of her – and the tens of thousands like her who have dedicated themselves to clawing back the rights we have lost.
But especially, I’ll be thinking of all the little girls.
Much love to you this week, friend.
Let’s get to work.
Actions for the Week of June 20, 2023
Join Wendy Davis at a joint Blue Texas & Blue Horizon meeting tomorrow!
You may remember Wendy Davis. Or maybe you remember her pink tennis shoes.
Ten years ago then-State Senator Wendy Davis entered the chamber of the Texas Senate to begin an historic 13-hour filibuster. It was the last day of a special session, and the bill at issue was an ominous anti-abortion bill. If she could filibuster until midnight – 13 straight hours – the special session would end, and the bill would die.
But to keep the filibuster going, she couldn’t sit down. She couldn’t even lean.
She had to stand on her own two feet for the whole 13 hours.
She did.
As the clock struck midnight and the session ended, the crowd in the gallery roared in triumph. Wendy’s filibuster was successful.
Photos of Wendy in a pastel suit and pink sneakers went viral (over 180,000 people watched via livestream) and her strength and passion inspires people across the country to this day.
Since then, Wendy has used her platform to boost Democrats across Texas and around the country – supporting candidates, championing causes, and lifting up the work of others.
This Texas icon will join the Every State Blue family on Wednesday for a Blue Texas/Blue Horizon joint event.
We’ll be talking about how we can all work together to support Democrats across the state. But this is an interactive event – so bring your questions! And please invite your friends.
Space is limited, so please register in advance using the blue button below.
Here are the details:
Who: Wendy Davis!
What: A joint virtual event with Blue Horizon and the Blue Texas community
When: June 21 (Wednesday) at 7pm central
Here’s the link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcuCqrTMjEt1FGD35xT8SavB9QX3AJqh8#/registration
And here’s the Mobilize event: https://www.mobilize.us/bluehorizontexaspac/event/568430/
“Undecided” women voters? There’s an event for that!
H/T Jessica Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water (subscribe here)
From Jessica: Have you wondered how anyone—especially anyone female—can be “undecided” in our current political climate? Then you won’t want to miss Galvanize’s upcoming virtual event! Founder Jackie Payne will be joined by special guest Maya Bourdeau, CEO of FrameShift, to explore the surprising answer to this question and new insights into moderate women’s opinions and identities. Join them Thursday, June 22 at 12 p.m. Pacific / 3 p.m. eastern for Unlocking Moderate Women’s Subconscious Thoughts & Feelings. Galvanize is an amazing organization—highly recommend this event!
Join the Ohio Democratic Party to Call Voters for Special Election – AND Help Protect Choice
There is a proposed citizen-led constitutional amendment that will protect abortion rights in Ohio. The effort to get the 700k signatures they’ll need is ongoing (they need to turn them in July 5) and you can find places to sign here: https://protectchoiceohio.com/signing-locations You can find volunteering information at the same link.
Because the abortion amendment will be on the November ballot, the Ohio GOP is trying to change the threshold it needs to get to pass. Right now, a citizen-led constitutional amendment needs a simple majority. But under a proposal that will go to the voters on August 8, it will require 60%.
Is this a blatant attempt to thwart the pro-choice amendment? No question about it.
So we need to make sure this new 60% threshold doesn’t pass.
The ODP is having loads of phone banks that you can join. Find them at their mobilize link here: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/563286/
From the Ohio Democratic Party: Join other pro-democracy callers on phone banks run by the Ohio Democratic Party to help ensure that the 60% threshold to pass a citizen-led constitutional amendment never, ever becomes Ohio law. We use a dialer to make calls!
Over the course of this imperative fight, we’ll be calling as many voters throughout Ohio as humanly possible to turn them out to vote. Calling voters is a fantastic way to play a vital role in our turnout efforts!
Never made calls to voters before? No worries, you’re in good hands! At the outset of a phonebank, we’ll thoroughly train you on how to make phone calls using a dialer! Then, we’ll pivot right into making some calls to voters! After you attend a training and the phonebank afterwards, you’ll be equipped to make calls anytime that works for your schedule in the future.
WHEW! GO TEAM!
P.S.: Why don’t you make someone’s day and send this pep talk to a friend or two? I bet they need it.
If you’d like to sign up to get this pep talk and action list in your in-box each week, you can do that here. Welcome, friend!
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone or via paypal at https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. I read and respond to every email! We’re in this together. Don’t you forget it.
Small Deeds Done 