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: Celebrating 2025 Local Election Wins
Voters made a big statement this week: Common sense and human decency are still our values, and we’ll keep showing up to fight extremism head-on.
You’ve probably heard about some exciting election wins, including Virginia electing its first female governor, Abigail Spanberger, and New Jersey electing its first Democratic female governor, Mikie Sherrill. Virginia also chose Ghazala Hashmi as their lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman to be elected to a statewide office anywhere in the U.S.
There were also big wins that will help protect democracy against extremism, like Pennsylvania retaining three state supreme court judges, California passing Prop 50 to fight congressional gerrymandering, and Maine blocking an attempt to restrict their absentee voting.
But let’s also look at some local wins you might not be hearing about, and how voters made a powerful impact in our communities:
- Mary Sheffield was elected as the first woman mayor of Detroit, Michigan.
- Our Suburban Women Problem podcast host Amanda Weinstein won her city council race in Hudson, Ohio.
- 15 Red Wine & Blue members won various local races in North Carolina.
- In the town of Midland, NC, Isaac Davis was elected to the town council by a huge margin – becoming the first Black person to be elected to any position in the town.
- In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which was ground zero for extremist takeovers of school boards back in 2023, the Central Bucks and Pennridge boards were flipped back to commonsense candidates.
- Despite extremists pushing their anti-trans agenda in Virginia, two candidates who will protect trans students – Ross Svenson and Monique Bryant – were elected to school boards in Loudoun and Arlington Counties.
- Ohio also saw commonsense school board candidates beat extremists in Trump-supporting places like Geauga County and Mentor, North Royalton, and Brecksville–Broadview Heights.
- Almost 78% of the school bonds and millages we supported in Michigan passed.
And these are just a handful of the stories we’re hearing!
These wins mean that in these communities, more people will see themselves reflected in their local leadership. Public schools will get the funding they need. Books will stay on classroom and library shelves. Teachers will be free to teach honest and accurate lessons. LGBTQ+ students will feel welcome and supported.
We know about these inspiring, local stories because of our amazing members working on the ground with us year-round in your own communities. You helped make them happen and we thank you for being with us. Take this moment to celebrate these victories and stay tuned – next week we’ll celebrate some more local wins as the stories keep rolling in!
P.S. If you have a little extra time tonight, join us for our virtual RWB Family Meeting to unpack election results and talk about what comes next. You’ll be the first to hear more stories like these from some of the most consequential local races in the country. Grab your bevvie of choice, get comfy, and log in to spend time with the RWB family! If you can’t make it, register anyway and you’ll be emailed the recording to watch when you have time.
Do This: Sign the Petition to Stop School Vouchers
Ok, now that you know more about the harm that school vouchers can do to a public school system, you’re probably wondering what you can do to help — We’ve got you.
We are committed to protecting public schools so that all children can learn and thrive, and we know you are 100% with us on that. Let’s take the next step together: sign our petition to protect public education for all kids.
Thanks for taking action this week!
Watch This: The Problem with School Vouchers
Now that you’ve read about school vouchers, let’s dig a little deeper. Watch this video with education journalist Jennifer Berkshire where she shares how school vouchers are not a new idea. These programs have been around for awhile, but get renamed and rebranded by those who advocate for them because they know they are unpopular. Voters have historically rejected vouchers because they don’t want taxpayer dollars going to private religious schools, and because they see how school choice programs don’t benefit most students. We support public education as an institution that benefits all of us.
To hear more of our discussion about school vouchers, check out the full podcast here, or stream anywhere you get your podcasts.
Read This: The Problem with School Vouchers
School vouchers sound fairly innocent, don’t they? But did you know that school vouchers take taxpayer funds away from public schools and direct it to religious and private institutions that are not held to the same standards of education, equity and opportunity?
Proponents of school vouchers like to call this “school choice” — implying that vouchers are giving parents more options in their children’s education. But in reality, the actual choice is with the schools. Private institutions — even if they’re receiving public funds through voucher programs — are not required to admit students and can deny entrance to anyone. This means students with learning disabilities, students of color and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds often get left behind. All while these funds are diverted from public schools, making it harder for them to serve everyone.
So if school vouchers don’t give all students more choice in education, what’s the point? The real reason behind school voucher programs is to defund public education. It’s one step in a plan to eventually privatize education in the United States. We can’t let that happen. All students deserve access to well-funded public schools that provide equitable opportunities to learn and succeed.
Do This: It’s Survey Time. We Want to Hear From You!
Happy New Year! ? Red Wine & Blue is committed to listening to the people who make up our sisterhood – people like you! That’s why we want to hear from you.
We want to make sure we never lose sight of what our women care about – because that tells us what Red Wine & Blue can and should do. That means finding out from you whether you are finding the work we are doing – and the way we do it – valuable.
With that mission in mind, we are hoping that you’ll take a few minutes out of your day to complete our 2023 Red Wine & Blue Survey!
Take It One Step Further: Look Back on 2023, Look Ahead to 2024
There’s just a few days left of 2023 and we want to celebrate with you! Not gonna lie, it was a busy year. We accomplished SO MUCH and we did it together, as a community of badass superheroes. Check out our 2023 Year in Review now:
We are so proud of our wins – You should be proud too! – And looking ahead, we know that 2024 is going to be an even bigger year. And we could really use your help.
There are so many different ways to get involved with RWB and making a year-end donation is one of them. It’s an easy way to invest in the future of our fight against extremism. If you make a donation this week, your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous matching gift donor! That means $10 becomes $20, $25 becomes $50! If you’re a first time donor, your gift will even be tripled!
Are you ready to take the next step and help us continue our fight against extremism in 2024? Click here to make a donation and become a Red Wine & Blue superhero!
Oh, and one more thing: Happy New Year! ?
Do This: Become a Troublemaker!
Wow, what a year! We accomplished a ton in 2023. Thank you for being a part of our community – We couldn’t have done it without you.
Here are some other amazing things that happened this year: 
- Over 20,000 people attended Red Wine & Blue events.
- 110 members of our community ran for office.
- RWB members in Ohio collected 57,000 signatures to help put Reproductive Freedom on the ballot. And then they passed the ballot measure enshrining repro rights in their state constitution!
- TroubleNation (our national distributed organizing program) started in the fall and already has 112 grassroots groups in 37 states, with 38,000 mostly female members!
- Across multiple states we stopped extremists from winning seats on school boards.
- Over 14,000 people attended an RWB training in 2023. Were you one of them? If not, now’s your chance!
Are you ready to level up in 2024? How about making it one of your New Year’s resolutions to cause a little good trouble next year? We can help you get started with one of our upcoming Troublemaker Trainings. These trainings are super easy to fit into your schedule – They are entirely online, so you can do them from anywhere, and they’re only about one hour long. You’ll learn how to be a Troublemaker and meet like-minded women. You might even make a new friend! So are you ready to take the next step? Sign up now for a Troublemaker Training this January!
Watch This: We’ve Got a Theme Song!
One of the amazing things about the Red Wine & Blue community is all the unbelievably talented women it includes. We’ve got actors and singers, writers and artists, teachers and organizers. And we love seeing the creativity that our members bring to their activism.
In fact, one of our members, Mariama Whyte, even wrote a song for us! It’s called “We Came to Make a Change,” and it’s guaranteed to get you feeling fired up. Check it out now. And sorry, not sorry for getting this ear worm stuck in your head!
We’re gearing up to make some major change in 2024 with the support of everyday superheroes like you. Together, we will protect reproductive freedom, push back on book bans, defeat extremism in our communities, and stand up for democratic values. Click here to supercharge our work in 2024. Thanks so much for your support!
Read This: Meet the Superheroes of Black Voters Matter!
Happy December! All this month, we are celebrating the Everyday Superheroes that are making a difference in our communities. And as part of that celebration, we have joined forces with another superpowered group: Black Voters Matter (BVM)! 
Black voters turn out at the ballot box at the second highest rate in the nation, but extremists are using racial gerrymandering and terrible voter suppression laws to make it harder for Black Americans to vote. BVM is fighting back! Since 2018, BVM has been at the forefront of initiatives to protect voting rights and get the vote out where it’s most difficult.
We’re super inspired by the work of Black Voters Matter, and we think you will be too! So today, if you give to Red Wine & Blue, half of every dollar will go to support their amazing voting rights work.
Suppression of the Black vote doesn’t just stop at gerrymandering. States like North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan have implemented strict voter ID laws, taken away Sunday voting, removed polling places in predominantly Black areas, and reduced early voting – all policies proven to reduce Black turnout.
Black Voters Matter has stood up for their rights in a BIG way. They organized a nine-day “Freedom Ride for Voting Rights” bus tour to garner grassroots support for voting legislation. They have sued Florida and Georgia to challenge restrictive provisions. They held clinics to help people get the correct ID to vote. They organized sending 69 million text messages to inform people of their rights.
We are going to need Black Voters Matter at full power to help turn out the vote in 2024, and you can make a real difference for them.
Thanks for being a superhero for Black Voters Matter and Red Wine & Blue! ??
Do This: Ask Your Friends to Join Us in Standing Up for LGBTQ+ Kids
Have you had enough with extremists trying to pass anti-trans legislation? Are you tired of the fear mongering that surrounds trans kids and their participation in sports? Do you wish people would just focus on real issues in education instead of these made up issues? Then you’re in the right place! And you probably have some friends who feel the same way.
Click below to help spread the word on social and invite your friends to join us. Let’s come together and work for all of our kids. Empathy is our superpower!
Watch This: Anti-Trans Bills Are Harming LGBTQ+ Kids
Last week, we started talking about right-wing extremist attacks on LGBTQ+ kids, so this week, we’re taking it one step further to dig into gender affirming care–what exactly is it and why it is so important. It’s actually very simple.
Gender affirming care helps kids feel safe in their own body, in their homes, and in their school. Critics who attack gender affirming care use fear-mongering and inaccurate information to manipulate us. But take it from trans activist Alejandra Caraballo, as she explains just how important gender affirming care is to kids, and why these attacks on the trans community are so dangerous.
Want to learn more? You can listen to our full podcast about Anti-Trans Bills and the harm they are causing our LGBTQ+ youth on our website or anywhere you listen to your favorite pods.
One more thing! Next Thursday is a holiday, so we won’t have a new post that day. We’ll see you again on November 30th. Take care!