Two podcasts honoring the anniversary of women’s right to vote are on the way from the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC). The commission, along with the National Park Service and public media org PRX, will debut “And Nothing Less: The Untold Stories of Women’s Fight for the Vote” and “The Magic Sash” on August 5. According to Deadline, Rosario Dawson and Retta will host the former, and gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman the latter.
“For generations, the suffragists demanded equality at the ballot box, and these podcasts will tell their stories and educate a new generation about this critical chapter in the history of American democracy,” said Anna Laymon, WSCC executive director. “We are proud to work alongside Aly, Retta, Rosario, PRX, and the National Park Service to bring listeners the captivating, complex, and inspiring stories from the longest social movement in American history.”
“And Nothing Less” will spotlight suffragettes who are too often overlooked, “telling stories of generations of activists [who] fought for full access to the ballot.” Podcast guests include historian and “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All” author Dr. Martha S. Jones; journalist and “The Woman’s Hour” scribe Elaine Weiss; and Michelle Duster, the great-granddaughter of feminist, abolitionist, and journalist Ida B. Wells.
“The full history of the women’s suffrage movement, the work of so many heroes who fought for and secured women’s right to vote, resonates profoundly today,” Dawson, who was last seen in USA Network series “Briarpatch,” commented. “It’s an honor to bring such powerful stories from our nation’s history to audiences everywhere.”
“It’s a joy to bring the history of the women’s suffrage movement in America (and around the world) to life,” added Retta, who currently stars in NBC’s “Good Girls.” “Especially with Rosario, who I’ve been a fan of and whose sense of civic duty I admire. U.S. women’s history is rich with iconic voices and perspectives, many of which I hadn’t even heard of until this project,” the “Good Girls” star revealed. “It really sheds light on what it means to be a citizen, even today. I’m excited to be a part of it, and for listeners to tune in.”
The tween historical fiction podcast “The Magic Sash” will center on a girl and boy who travel back in time, meeting icons and trailblazers like Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Frederick Douglass. They will also “experience key moments in women’s suffrage history, such as the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848 and the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C.”
PRX’s TRAX, a podcast network for 9- to 13-year-olds, is co-producing with Gen-Z Media.
“I believe that voting is one of the most important rights anyone can have,” Raisman stated. “I vote because it is an opportunity for change. Just like in ‘The Magic Sash,’ people today are using their voices to better the world.”
Congress launched the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to honor the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the U.S. The commission’s other activities will include building a suffrage memorial in Virginia and donating 18,000 children’s suffrage history books to libraries around the country.
