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!
Watch This: Learn How to Spot Soft Censorship
A lot of people are talking about freedom of speech right now. As Americans, it’s a right that has always defined us and that we all hold dear. That’s why the majority of us oppose book bans and censorship.
The rise in book bans over the past few years has been well documented, but it’s also important to understand the many other ways that censorship can occur. Watch this short video to learn more about what soft censorship is and how to spot it.
With this information, you’ll be ready to take action if the right to speak or read is threatened in your local libraries. And we’ve got your back!
Take it One Step Further: Book Bans
Still feeling curious about book bans and want to learn more? Are you a bookworm who just loves reading books? We’ve got just the thing!
Join our Banned Book Club Every 6 weeks or so, we pick a new book to read, then we get together online, learn a little from a guest speaker, and then break up into small groups for the discussion questions. It’s a really wonderful way to make friends and stand up to book banners at the same time! We’d love to see you there.
Do This: Help Warn Your Friends about the Dangers of Book Bans
Did you know that one of the most effective things you can do is talk to your friends and family about issues affecting our communities? That’s because people trust their friends and family and are more open to learning from them than from strangers. For this week’s action, take a minute to share this post on social. We’ve made it super easy – just click!
Watch This: Author Jodi Picoult Talks about the Problem with Book Bans.
Some of our favorite authors are getting banned, and it’s usually for very questionable reasons. Check out our conversation with best selling author, Jodi Picoult as she shares how one parent had 20 of her books banned in one county.
If you want to hear more of our conversation with Jodi, listen to her full interview on our podcast, The Suburban Women Problem. You can also listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
Read This: What’s Up With All The Book Bans?
These days it might feel like everyone is talking about book bans, from the U.S. president to the PTA. That’s because these bans are happening all over our country, and affecting every community. Whether it’s a ban in a school, a bookstore, or a public library, these bans affect us all, so it’s important to learn about these book bans and why they are happening.
Ok, so what exactly are these book bans all about? Despite the fact that 80% of Americans oppose banning books, in the last few years extremists have become laser focused on trying to control what our kids can read. It’s not enough to just tell their child to not read a book – under the guise of “parents’ rights,” they want to stop all kids from reading certain books. And it’s not because these books are actually dangerous or harmful. It’s because they are written by or about people of color or the LGBTQ+ community or they discuss things extremists don’t want kids to learn about, like accurate American history, sexual education, mental health, even climate change!
Who is banning books? Are you ready for a really crazy statistic? It turns out that just 11 people are behind nearly all banned or challenged books in the US! In many cases, just one person can get dozens of books banned, simply by filing a complaint – even if they haven’t read the literature. They don’t even have to be a local parent or member of the community to do it. This is why the same books tend to get banned across several communities – well-funded, national groups posing as grassroots organizations are targeting these books.
How are our kids impacted by book bans? First, we want to make sure it’s clear these books are being banned and challenged under false pretenses. Age-appropriate books are being pulled from shelves every day for misleading reasons with really harmful consequences. Not having access to these books prevents kids from better understanding the world around them and better understanding themselves, making them less prepared for the real world. We are not helping our kids by banning teaching accurate American history, by erasing LGBTQ people from our schools, or by eliminating comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Want more info? Check out the map below from American Library Association or click here to see a map from Pen America of where books are being banned and why.