“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
Read This: How American Elections are Run
American voters just delivered historic wins in the midterm elections. And despite mis- and disinformation being circulated to reduce our trust in the system, the election ran smoothly. This is thanks to how our elections are run, and how election officials make sure...
Do This: Help your friends get ready to vote
Now that you’ve made your voting plan for the midterm elections – and maybe even voted early! – it’s time to take it one step further. It’s not enough just to vote this year. That’s because we know a lot of people don’t vote in midterm elections, and as rockstar...
Do This: Make your Voting Plan for the Midterm Elections
There are probably a lot of reasons fewer people vote in midterm elections than in presidential elections. Maybe they don’t know that they’re happening. Maybe they don’t know who is running for state and local offices, or they don’t realize how important those offices...
Watch This: Heather Cox Richardson’s Midterm Election Advice
Midterm Election Day is just around the corner on November 3, but early voting has already started, or is starting in many states soon. In other words, the election is now! We know it’s important to vote in the midterms, but we also know that many of our friends and...
Okay, But Why Should You Vote for Attorney General?
Americans don’t talk about attorneys general very much. Many of us don’t even know who our state attorney general is or what they do, but attorneys general have the power to shape our daily lives. Read more to learn what state attorneys general do, and why it’s important to vote for them!