Hi there! Welcome to Easy A–Your go-to source for quick and easy actions you can take in five minutes or less about the issues you care about.
Are you a busy mom? Or maybe your work is so hectic you can’t think about anything else during the day? A lot of us are also taking care of parents or other loved ones too, leaving little time for anything else.
The good news is that these are things you can do while you’re waiting in the school pick up line, on your lunch break, or even at your kid’s soccer practice – anywhere you happen to be! And you can easily share Easy A with your friends so they can be in the know, too! We’ll send you a new action to take every week–just one, we promise –and it will always be something you can do in five minutes or less. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Read This: America’s Declaration of Independence on its 250th Anniversary
In just a few weeks, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. As we celebrate this July 4th, let’s go back to school and study the primary source!
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which was then signed by the Second Continental Congress. But something we don’t often learn in school is that he was likely influenced by up to 90 other state and local declarations of independence that had already been written at the time, reflecting the strong nationwide desire for separation from Great Britain.
Even at the time of its writing, Jefferson and other founding fathers were criticized for declaring freedom for all men while one third of the Congress were, or had been, slave owners. (Come back next week to explore that criticism further!)
Earn your Easy A this week by reading the Declaration of Independence. We’ve reprinted a transcript of it below, exactly as it appears in the National Archives (with the spelling and punctuation of the original, so you might catch what would be modern-day typos!).
Declaration of Independence: A Transcription
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Do This: Spread the word to support LGBTQ+ kids and teens
Now that we know how conversion therapy hurts LGBTQ+ kids and teens, let’s not keep this information to ourselves!
Earn your Easy A this week by sharing life-saving information and resources with your friends and family. We’ve made it easy to do by creating these ready-made posts that can be shared on your favorite social media and messaging apps.
You can share links to our blog posts and video about conversion therapy, as well as information about The Trevor Project’s Lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis. Scroll through the posts and click to get started!
Whether you choose to share one post or all three, in just a few minutes, you’re getting important information out into the world. It’s a wonderful way to take action during Pride month, and you never know who it may reach right when they really need it!
Watch This: Drew’s experience with conversion therapy
Last week, we learned how “conversion therapy” hurts LGBTQ+ kids and teens.
It’s not just that it’s been widely discredited by doctors, educators, and religious leaders. It’s also proven to be abusive and traumatic.
Red Wine & Blue’s Chief of Staff, Drew Amstutz, recently shared his own experience with conversion therapy on RWB’s podcast, How to Not Lose Your Sh!t. At just 15 years old, he was subjected to this harassment and abuse that still affects him more than a decade later.
Earn your Easy A this week by watching this short clip of Drew’s story.
Drew is one of 350,000 LGBTQ+ adults who were subjected to conversion therapy when they were younger. We’re fighting to make sure that more kids aren’t subjected to this trauma in the future, and instead get the community they need to feel loved and supported. Come back next week to take another easy action in that fight!
Read This: How Conversion Therapy Hurts LGBTQ+ Kids and Teens
As we enter Pride month, we’re turning our attention to LGBTQ+ kids and teens. Their rights have been increasingly attacked lately, especially when it comes to being protected from dangerous threats including “conversion therapy.”
What is conversion therapy?
So-called “conversion therapy” is a practice that tries to force LGBTQ+ people into being straight. It is not based on any scientific evidence or medical standards. It particularly targets kids and teens.
Extremist religious groups push the use of conversion therapy to try to forcibly change people’s gender or sexuality, despite it having been debunked and shown to cause serious harm.
This isn’t just a political opinion. Medical, educational, and religious professionals and practitioners agree – conversion therapy has been discredited and condemned by all major medical and psychological associations, many educators’ groups, and hundreds of religious groups and leaders.
How does conversion therapy harm kids?
“Conversion therapy” is forced upon kids whose families or communities refuse to accept their gender or sexuality. It uses painful and abusive methods including electric shock, starvation, and even sexual reconditioning. The United Nations has labeled it torture and called for its ban.
Just like any forms of hate and prejudice can cause mental and physical harm, conversion therapy can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, drug abuse, homelessness, and suicide.
LGBTQ+ youth who have been subjected to conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who weren’t subjected to it. And LGBTQ+ kids who are not accepted by their parents, caregivers, or family members are 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times more likely to be depressed, and 3 times more likely to use drugs compared to their LGBTQ+ peers who were more accepted by family.
Why are we talking about conversion therapy now?
Many states and cities have laws protecting kids from conversion therapy, and all of those laws received bipartisan support when they were passed. But these protections may change now due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Colorado was one of the states with a ban on conversion therapy, but in March of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado’s ban violated a Christian counselor’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech. It essentially overturned Colorado’s ban by ordering the state to re-assess it. The fear is that this could now happen in more states.
How can we protect LGBTQ+ kids from the harm of conversion therapy?
Being LGBTQ+ is not a disorder and does not need to be cured. The majority of Americans agree that kids should be protected from conversion therapy. It causes pain, confusion, guilt, and shame when we should be giving children unconditional love and support.
You can learn from and get involved with organizations like PFLAG, The Trevor Project, and the Human Rights Campaign who help us advocate for LGBTQ+ kids and teens. They also have resources for families looking for support or licensed mental health providers.
You can also learn and share about The Trevor Project’s Lifeline, a free and confidential crisis support service where LGBTQ+ youth can connect with trained crisis counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, by phone, text, or online chat. This is the critical, life-saving support our kids need – NOT “conversion therapy.”
Stay tuned for more easy actions to support LGBTQ+ youth in the coming weeks!
Do This: Share What You’ve Learned About Local Government
Now that we’ve spent a few weeks learning about how local government works, let’s not keep this information to ourselves!
We’ve created a shareable pdf that explains how local government shapes our daily lives, and even better – how we can get involved to make our communities safer, more welcoming, and enjoyable!
We’ve also made it really easy for you to share this information with friends and family. You can use the post below to share using your favorite messaging apps on your phone.
And if you’ve got time to do a little more this week, join us TONIGHT for our next virtual Civics Salon: How Local Government Works. You can sign up at this link. If you can’t make it but still want to learn more, RSVP and we’ll send you the recording and give you a way to invite your friends!
Watch This: 9 Ways Local Government Impacts Us Every Day
You wake up every morning and immediately wash your face and brush your teeth with clean water running from the bathroom tap. Then you head out, driving your car or riding the city bus, on (hopefully) well-maintained roads, to get to work or drop the kids off at your neighborhood school. Or maybe you walk the dog or take a jog through your nearby park. Somewhere in the distance, you hear the sirens of emergency first responders rushing to help someone in need.
In the evening, you squeeze in a trip to your neighborhood rec center for a quick game of pickleball with friends or a free support group meeting. Before climbing back into bed with that library book you can’t wait to get lost in, you take your trash and recycling bins out to the curb for pickup first thing tomorrow morning.
Guess what? Your day was brought to you by the local government!
Earn your Easy A this week by watching our short video, 9 Everyday Services Your Local Government Runs (That You Probably Didn’t Realize):
Whether we’re happy with what our government provides in our community or think it needs improvement, we can make a real impact by getting involved, so let’s get local!
Do This: Tell Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Last month, we completed our Easy A series on gerrymandering, but we’re returning to the topic one more time with breaking news!
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court issued their decision in Louisiana v. Callais, a racial gerrymandering case we previously told you about. They ruled exactly as we feared: gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, clearing the way for racial (and racist) gerrymandering. It’s the biggest blow to our voting rights since the act was passed in 1965.
Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who argued this case before the Court, warned us that this ruling will change the future of redistricting for all voters, dilute the power of Black and brown voters, and drastically reduce the number of representatives of color in Congress.
It’s a huge blow, but we can still fight for a true, multiracial democracy, starting with demanding that Congress pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This act would restore the hard-won voting rights gained during the Civil Rights era and protect them for everyone.
Read This: How Local Government Shapes our Daily Lives
When we talk about politics, we might immediately think about the President or Congress. They certainly give us a lot to talk about! But many of the decisions that impact our daily lives, like roads, schools, and public safety, are actually made at the local level. So let’s take a look at how local government works.
How is local government structured?
Local governments are organized around a population center. Within them, elected representatives govern, and agencies provide resources and services.
There are two layers of local government: counties (some places call them boroughs or parishes) and municipalities (cities, towns, townships, villages, or boroughs, depending on where you live). These are defined and given power by each state’s constitution. They can also be further divided into different school or fire districts.
What does local government do?
Local governments – both counties and municipalities – have many important functions that impact our day-to-day activities and safety:
- Parks & Recreation provides green spaces and trails, playgrounds, sports and recreation facilities and programs, community gardens, public pools, and public art.
- Public schools educate the majority of kids in our communities. Local taxes are just one source of funding for public schools, but a very important one!
- Public libraries lend books and other resources, provide free internet and computer access, offer programs and activities, and host public meeting spaces.
- Police departments, fire departments, and emergency medical services keep our communities safe, protected, and supported during emergencies.
- Municipal courts, jails, and prisons uphold the law and address crime.
- Public Works departments include water, sewer, trash collection, recycling, street and sidewalk maintenance, bike lanes, fire hydrants, parking, and accessibility.
- Public transportation like buses and trams are vital for people without their own vehicles or the ability to drive.
- Zoning and land use offices oversee the development of housing and businesses.
- Social Services provide public housing and public health initiatives like vaccines.
- Advisory boards and committees assist with everything from animal welfare to historic preservation.
Who gets elected in local government?
Many of the leaders in local government are elected. This includes mayors, city and town council members, county commissioners, school board members, and judges.
Mayors represent their city/town and lead their respective council. City/town councils and county commissioners review and approve local budgets and establish local ordinances. School boards set curriculum, decide school policies, and approve and oversee budgets. Judges ensure that local laws are fairly upheld.
How is local government funded?
All of the services provided by our local government have to be paid for by something! That’s where our property taxes come into play. Taxes on our personal property like land, homes, and vehicles help fund all these important services that we use everyday.
Additional funding can come from bonds and millages that are proposed as ballot initiatives and voted on by the public during elections. The process of how these get on ballots varies by state.
Notably, increases to our local taxes don’t always keep up with inflation. This can lead to shortfalls in budgets for our schools, libraries, public safety providers, and other services. People often complain when their tax rates go up, but they also complain if their schools can’t afford maintenance, streets are full of potholes, or salaries for teachers, police officers, and firefighters are too low. Our local elected leaders have to navigate this balance every day.
What role can we play in local government?
Paying our taxes helps fund our counties and municipalities, but we can do even more. We can help shape our communities by staying informed about local issues, attending board meetings, volunteering on local committees, voting in every election, and even running for office ourselves. We all play a part in creating a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable community to live in!
Do This: See your state’s gerrymandering report card
Gerrymandering is when during the routine process of redistricting, politicians create voting districts that favor their own party in elections. Politicians shouldn’t pick their own voters! This is unfair to all voters and often leads to the underrepresentation of minority groups.
Right now, it seems like gerrymandering is everywhere. The Supreme Court is poised to make racial gerrymandering legal. President Trump is encouraging Republican-led states to redistrict in their own favor before November’s elections, and Democrat-led states are fighting back. Both parties have a history of gerrymandering in many states over time.
Do you know how gerrymandered your state is?
The Princeton Gerrymandering Project can tell you! Their nonpartisan, data-driven Redistricting Report Card grades each state’s voting districts on fairness, competitiveness, and other features. Your Easy A this week is to take a few minutes to visit their map and see your state’s score!
Knowledge is power, and the more you know about how voting and elections work in your state, the more powerful your voice – and your vote – can be!
Watch This: How the Supreme Court Could Roll Back Voting Rights
Last week’s Easy A provided an easy explainer on gerrymandering, which is the purposeful drawing of voting districts to unfairly favor a certain group or political party.
We learned that while gerrymandering is not necessarily illegal, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 does make gerrymandering on the basis of race illegal – and we’re at risk of losing that protection!
Right now, the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding Louisiana v. Callais, which will determine if Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains constitutional.
Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, argued this case before the Court. Take 90 seconds to watch this video and hear what she recently told us about how this ruling could reshape redistricting and fair representation across the country.
Then come back next week to take one more easy action to fight gerrymandering!
Got time to learn more? You can watch our entire event with Janai on our YouTube channel and read about the Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter report she referenced here.
Read This: An easy explainer on gerrymandering
If you’ve been following politics lately, you’ve probably heard the term “gerrymandering” and like most people, you may have wondered, what the heck is that?
What is gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering is when the maps for voting districts are purposefully drawn unfairly by politicians in order to benefit a certain political party or group of voters.
The term comes from former Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry who signed a bill in 1812 to redraw the voting districts in his state. One new district was so wonky, its outline resembled a salamander. So, Gerry+mander = gerrymander, and the term was born.
Gerrymandering is the kind of thing that annoys people about politics and makes them want to tune out altogether, but understanding and pushing back against it is the only way to fix it and get politics working fairly for all of us, so let’s learn a little more about it.
What’s the difference between gerrymandering and redistricting?
Gerrymandering happens during the perfectly routine process of redistricting. Every ten years, after we get updated population numbers from the U.S. Census, the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives is recalculated.
This is also a good time for states to redraw their voting districts, and someone has to draw those maps! In most states, that responsibility falls to the state legislature, although in some states it is done by independent groups or commissions.
So, state politicians get the privilege of creating the very districts that will vote for them! Both political parties have been known to take advantage of this power by creating those districts in ways that favor their own candidates.
How does gerrymandering hurt voters?
Most voters agree, gerrymandering isn’t fair. It seems like common sense that politicians shouldn’t get to be the ones deciding who their voters are – it’s supposed to be the other way around!
Gerrymandering is also bad for voter representation. It reduces competitiveness in races because fewer candidates will challenge incumbents if the race seems impossible to win. And when politicians feel secure in their seats, they become less accountable. They know they’ll be re-elected easily regardless of how well they represent their constituents.
Gerrymandering ultimately results in the disproportionate representation of a party in the state compared to its actual population. For example, in heavily gerrymandered North Carolina, the percentages of Republican and Democratic voters are equal, but voting districts are skewed to elect 10-11 out of 14 U.S. House seats for Republicans in the 2026 elections. Similarly, in Ohio, their 2026 maps are expected to elect 12 out of 15 U.S. House seats for Republicans, despite their voting population being more evenly split.
Is gerrymandering legal?
While it’s unfair, there is nothing that makes gerrymandering along partisan lines illegal. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there is no federal oversight for partisan gerrymandering, although it can be challenged in state courts. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 does, however, make racial gerrymandering illegal.
How does gerrymandering hurt Black and brown communities?
Gerrymandering hurts the party that is not in power when the district maps are drawn, and it also disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities. Gerrymandering has historically been used to reduce minority representation and voting power in a state. This is done by either “cracking” or “packing” districts.
“Cracking” is when district lines are drawn right through communities of color in order to split them up across multiple districts. This gives them less of a chance to elect a representative in any given district. “Packing” is when lines are drawn to place communities of color all in one district, reducing their overall opportunities for representation in the state. Both are illegal, but that doesn’t stop lawmakers from trying.
Why are we talking about gerrymandering so much right now?
We already mentioned examples of gerrymandering in North Carolina and Ohio, states that have seen significant gerrymandering in recent years, but it’s happening nationwide as extremists in state legislatures try to hold onto power.
President Trump recently pressured Texas and Missouri into gerrymandering their congressional districts in favor of Republicans. In response, California passed a redistricting measure that will favor Democrats in 2026, and Virginia is holding a special election this month to do the same. Other measures or court cases are taking place in states like Utah, Missouri, New York, and Maryland.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on Louisiana v. Callais, an incredibly consequential case that risks overturning some of the protections the Voting Rights Act gives us against racial gerrymandering.
What’s an alternative to gerrymandering?
Once voters understand what gerrymandering is, they agree that it undermines our democracy. We all want our votes to count fairly and equally. Elections should be decided by voters, not by the politicians themselves before we even get to the polls!
One way to combat gerrymandering is to have redistricting done by independent commissions who accurately represent the general population and operate openly and independently. States can also pass laws against gerrymandering, and we can be sure to elect judges who will rule against unfair gerrymandering in our states.
In other words, in order to get rid of this ugly side of politics, we have to get involved locally and change it for the better!