“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
Watch This: Supporting the Transgender Community
Extremist politicians have been stepping up their efforts to demonize transgender people and take away their rights. Through new laws, lawsuits, and executive orders, they are denying the existence of trans people and trying to keep them from living full and happy...
Okay, But Why Is ICE Detaining Children?
During the presidential election, Trump pledged to crack down on immigration, but he claimed he was only talking about criminals. But over the last several months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been increasingly targeting people who are legally following the U.S. immigration process. Some of them are just kids. So we have to ask: why is ICE targeting people who aren’t criminals, and why are they targeting children?
Okay, But Why Are We Still Talking About Racism?
Most of us can agree that America has a racist past. We enslaved other human beings, and even after the Civil War, injustices like lynching and Jim Crow laws persisted. But despite a troubling resurgence of white supremacy groups — a nearly 50% increase since 2022 — many Americans believe that racism is all in the past. “This is America,” we might think, “Everyone has an equal opportunity, right?” Or, talking about race or “seeing color” may feel like what is actually racist. So, why do we still need to talk about racism?
Okay, But Why Are They Defunding the Weather Service?
If you’re like many Americans, one of the first things you do every morning is check the weather. And we definitely pay attention when there’s extreme weather – like hurricanes, blizzards, and tornadoes – on the horizon, putting our lives and property in jeopardy. Whether you get it from your phone, the morning news, or a Google search, that information all comes from the same place: the Weather Service, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). So why is the Trump administration getting rid of it?
Okay, But Why Do We Need Community More Than Ever?
Right now, many of us are feeling a ton of stress and anxiety. Add that to the rise in loneliness in our country, and it creates a toxic soup that isn’t just bad for our mood, it’s bad for our physical health too. The good news is, community connection can help with both of these problems! In these chaotic and stressful times, community is more important than ever. It isn’t just good for our hearts and minds, it’s good for democracy.