“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...
Ronna Dewey
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...
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....
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...
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...
Students, authors fight censorship in PA schools
About four hours before the Central Bucks School District passed a new library policy in July, local high school junior Lily Freeman warned a crowd of about 100 what would follow. The policy, passed by a 6-3 vote, targeted books with explicit or implied depictions of...
At ‘visibility rally’ members of trans community call for equality and safety in schools, workplace
Transgender people across Pennsylvania and the nation have in recent months been the target of some of the fiercest pushback and civil rights restrictions, but on Friday, Rhea Morningstar was in a celebratory mood. “We are here to celebrate,” said Morningstar, a...
Pennsylvania voters want to protect freedom, especially to control their own bodies
By Ronna Dewey Pennsylvania House Republicans are blatantly trying to hold on to their power and push their out-of-touch agenda. Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly supported Democrats up and down the ballot, electing a 102-101 Democrat majority in the state House. But...
Recent Posts
Growing Your TroubleNation Group
Connection is at the heart of organizing. Extremists want us to feel isolated and alone — but when we come together, we’re unstoppable. The antidote to division is community building.
Sustaining Your TroubleNation Group
Connection is at the heart of organizing. Extremists want us to feel isolated and alone — but when we come together, we’re unstoppable. The antidote to division is community building.
Starting Your TroubleNation Group
Connection is at the heart of organizing. Extremists want us to feel isolated and alone — but when we come together, we’re unstoppable. The antidote to division is community building.
Watch This: Spotting and Stopping Disinformation
We learned last week that 1 in 4 Americans know that they’ve shared misinformation or disinformation online. We also know that a lot of disinformation intentionally comes from bad actors, like other governments that want to interfere with our democratic elections. A...
Caring for Each Other: Mutual Aid & Protection
Mutual aid is about coming together to meet immediate needs while working to create long-term change that benefits everyone. From life-saving assistance to simply making someone’s day easier, every act has value.