“Moms for Liberty has been classified as a far-right extremist organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and their whole tactic is to not have children feel safe and secure and welcomed in schools,” Ronna Dewey, the Pennsylvania program director for Red, Wine...
Pennsylvania
The PA mother who’s standing up against book bans—and the Dems standing with her
Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for proposed book bans in academic libraries and public schools. This is a story about reading, but let’s start with some math: 644.That’s the number of book bans in Pennsylvania public school districts between July 2021 and June...
Pushback against trans rights in Pittsburgh area coming from D.C.
As Allegheny County school districts and universities advance LGBTQ protections, lawsuits and media campaigns by national groups seek to curb trans inclusion. The Pine-Richland School District first made headlines over its policies for transgender students in 2016....
Woman’s rally held in Schuylkill County
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — "We raise our voices loud and clear! We raise our voices loud and clear! We won't stay quiet any longer! We won't stay quiet any longer," chanted Claire Kempes a member of Schuylkill Indivisible and Schuylkill County Democratic Women's League....
Controversial bathroom policy up for debate again at Perkiomen Valley School District
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. (CBS) -- A controversial bathroom policy is up for debate again at a Montgomery County school board meeting Monday night. The question is: Are you allowed to use a bathroom for the gender of which you identify, or must you use the bathroom for the...
After fighting ‘extremist’ school boards, PA advocates network to help fight other efforts
Policies that end up culling library shelves and policing bathrooms don’t happen in a vacuum, and the concerted efforts of certain groups are no secret to longtime advocates in PAWInS. Localized social media groups on Facebook and other platforms can be a popular...
New coalition forms to to fight extremism in schools
The Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (PA WInS) Coalition formally announced its launch at a virtual press conference on Jan. 24. The group is a collective of students, teachers and guardians from various school districts across the state and leaders...
Bucks County ‘Not One Day More!’ vigil remembers those lost to gun violence
Community members gathered on Dec. 8, at state Sen. Frank Farry’s office, 370 E. Maple Avenue in Langhorne, to remember and honor those lost to the gun violence epidemic. Attendees unveiled a banner with the faces of Pennsylvanians supporting gun safety reform. This...
Defending Free Expression: How to Fight Back Against Book Bans in Pennsylvania
When Ronna Dewey hears about a potential book ban, the first thing she thinks of is the human cost. “We all want to make sure that we are living in a community where all people feel supported and welcomed,” Dewey said. “If kids aren’t feeling that way, they won’t be...
‘Fight book bans’: Central York parent-planned read-a-thon will feature banned books
In addition to guest readers, nonprofit Red Wine and Blue will have their "Banned Bookmobile" parked outside the event. Red Wine and Blue, started after the 2018 midterm election, operates out of suburban swing districts in the United States and works to defeat...
Recent Posts
Okay, But Why Are People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories?
These days, it feels like conspiracy theories are everywhere. And some of these outlandish theories have caused real harm. So why are people drawn to conspiracy theories? What real harm do they cause? And how can we help a loved one come back to reality? See how we can find a common solution to people falling down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole!
Read This: A Seriously Brief Timeline of Women Organizing for Good
Throughout history, women have organized and fought for the greater good. Right now, as we witness great injustices and many of our freedoms are at stake, let’s recognize and celebrate some of the American women who showed us what’s possible through local organizing....
Do This: Fight the Climate Crisis
Remember learning about the hole in the ozone layer back when we were in school? And that to fix it, we had to stop using aerosol hairspray? We also learned the importance of recycling to preserve natural resources. And none of us will ever forget to cut through...
Okay, But Why Do Billionaires Have Our Data?
Americans are worried about the privacy of our personal information. We check our settings on social media and monitor our credit cards to protect our identity. But as more billionaires are given powerful roles and expensive contracts with the government, they’re accessing and sharing our information across agencies, raising new privacy concerns we should all be aware of.
Why do billionaires have so much of our data? And why isn’t the government protecting us?
Watch This: The Climate Crisis Is a Health Crisis
We’re not doomed yet, but we’ve wasted a lot of time. That’s one of the takeaways we learned from meteorologist and climate change communicator, Chris Edwards, when he joined us recently for our virtual event, Climate Change 101: What You Need to Know. Chris talked...