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: Sacred Politics and the Threat of Christian Nationalism
One of the biggest threats to American democracy, especially as Donald Trump returns to the presidency, is the influence of Christian Nationalism. We took a deep dive into the movement with our limited series podcast, Sacred Politics, so let’s take a look at what we learned.
What is Christian Nationalism?
To be clear, Christian Nationalism is not Christianity. It is not even a religion — it is a political ideology and movement on the extreme right that has weaponized their religion to further their agenda. Christian Nationalists believe that America was founded by Christians for Christians. They believe that our government should give them privilege and power, and base our laws on their beliefs. They are against reproductive rights and same-sex marriage, and want to infuse religion into public education. They are often behind book bans, challenges to public school curriculum, and regressive policies on marriage and family planning.
Where did Christian Nationalism come from?
The movement grew in the 1960s and 1970s in response to the Civil Rights movement, feminism, the sexual revolution, and secularism. This new faction of the conservative right was largely White Christians who saw social progress as evidence of moral decline. They felt their values and power were under attack. They’ve been trying to return our country to what they consider a time of greatness — the time before the 1960s — ever since.
They want us to forget that pre-1960s America lacked equality for almost anyone who wasn’t a white, straight male. Their version of our history ignores slavery and segregation to make the past seem more idyllic. But knowing that this goal wouldn’t be palatable to the general public, they united around the issue of abortion instead.
The movement started by using the existing, organized communities of Christian churches, getting tens of thousands of pastors and televangelists to mobilize their congregations. This is still how they organize today. They use fear and anger to energize their base. They tell them they are being persecuted by progressive movements. They call opposing political “enemies” the “anti-Christ”. This perception of being under attack fuels their righteousness and solidarity.
How do Christian Nationalists Justify Supporting Immoral Leaders?
It’s really hard to understand why and how anyone who considers themselves a Christian can support politicians like Donald Trump, who does not seem to be religious or to live by religious values. But they don’t see him as a betrayal of their values. They just consider him “God’s flawed vessel” and they forgive him for those flaws because the ends justify the means. They don’t care if he embodies Christian values as long as he has the power to give them the political outcomes they want. And that’s exactly what he’s done for them so far.
What are Christian Nationalists’ Goals?
During Trump’s first term, he gave religious leaders insider access and appointed many Federalist Society judges, three of whom helped the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade — a decades-long goal of Christian Nationalists. That’s why they worked so hard to get him elected again — to accomplish more of their agenda.
It’s all spelled out in Project 2025, the far-right extremist plan created for Donald Trump’s second term by the Heritage Foundation and other allies. They want to take away more of our reproductive rights, they’re targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, immigrants and women, and they want to teach their biblical worldview in our public schools. The plan gives them a detailed roadmap for how to do it. This damage could take generations to reverse.
How do we stop the Christian Nationalist Movement?
Don’t be discouraged. We can push back. Only 14% of Americans are White evangelicals, the group most closely associated with the movement. They are far from the majority. In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about what we can do to stop them from making any more progress.
Want to dig deeper into this topic? Read more from these guests of our Sacred Politics limited series podcast:
- April Ajoy, “Star-Spangled Jesus”
- Shane Claiborne, shaneclaiborne.com and redletterchristians.org
- Kristin Du Mez, “Jesus and John Wayne”
- Karla Kamstra, aka Rev Karla, revkarla.com
- Talia Lavin, “Wild Faith”
- Jess McIntosh, jessmcintosh.org
- Katherine Stewart, “The Power Worshippers”
- Jemar Tisby, “The Spirit of Justice”
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!
Read This: Anti-Trans Bills Are Harming LGBTQ+ Kids
Reproductive freedom has been making headlines a lot this year, but did you know that the same groups that fought to get Roe overturned are also the ones behind all the anti-trans legislation exploding across the country? This year alone, 586 anti-trans bills have been introduced in state houses across the nation. This number grows so often, that we’ve had to update our stats while writing and researching about this topic. By the time you read this, it could be even more.
So what are these anti-trans laws about? It’s usually targeting things like which bathroom kids can use, what sports teams they can play on, and whether or not they’re allowed to choose their own pronouns at
school. And now some states have moved beyond trying to control trans students in the classroom, and are banning gender-affirming care.
Okay, so what is that exactly? Gender-affirming care is as simple as allowing a child to wear their hair in a style they feel better suits them, choosing clothes they feel comfortable in, or picking a name that better represents them. Gender affirming care is simply validating how the child feels, and it goes a long way towards making them feel safe and accepted.
Extremists like to hide behind the slogan “protect the children,” but in reality it’s about controlling children and teaching them that there is only one ‘right’ way to be. The fact is these anti-trans bills are causing a lot of harm to LGBTQ+ kids. Studies have shown that anti-trans bills increase depression, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide in kids and teens. And LGBTQ+ youth are already at an increased risk of depression and suicide. That’s really heartbreaking.
As parents, educators, and community members, it’s up to all of us to ensure every kid grows up feeling safe, valued, and loved. We don’t have to sit on the sidelines – We can help. We know that all students benefit from a safe learning environment, so we can be an advocate for schools that are accepting of all students. And we can be an ally and a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Stay tuned for more info over the next couple of weeks on easy actions you can take to help.
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming: Time to Vote! Election Day Is Tuesday, Nov. 7th
Wow, this year is flying by – Election Day is just a few days away! Are you ready to be the difference between winning and losing an election? Yes, you really do have that power!
From school boards to mayoral races to state legislatures, local and state races are often won by just a handful of votes–and there are thousands of seats across the country that are on the ballot this November. And because it’s not a presidential election year, many people don’t have them on their radar.
And you know what’s really wild? These are the elections that affect our communities the most! Even though they don’t usually make national headlines, the results will be felt in our schools, our towns, and our homes. You can have a huge impact simply by voting and reminding your friends and family to vote.
Your Easy Action for this week…Take a few seconds to tell us how you plan to vote! ??????
Take It One Step Further: Tell Your Friends About School Board Extremism
OK, we’ve been talking a lot about school board extremism these last few weeks. We know that reasonable common sense parents like us are the majority, and extremists are a very loud, but very tiny group of people. We know they’ve been working hard to take over our school boards to push their agenda and control what our kids can learn.
And we know one more thing: local elections are happening all over the country and early voting has already started in a lot of communities. Now’s your chance to get the word out and warn your friends about what’s happening. Click below to share this post on social right now:
Do This: Take Action Against School Board Extremism
So now you have learned how dangerous school board extremism can be for our schools, and you’re probably wondering, “Ok, but what can I do?” We’ve got the answer! The great thing is that you can attend school board meetings and even speak at the meetings to share your ideas and address your concerns. You can also bring other parents with you so they can speak up too. And don’t worry, if you aren’t able to go in person, you can also email them. 
Remember, mainstream parents like us are the majority – It’s up to us to make sure our voices are heard. If you’ve had enough of a tiny number of super loud extremists turning your school board meetings into a three-ring circus and bullying your kid’s favorite teachers, we can help. We’ve got a super handy Parent Playbook that gives you everything you need to get started. Download your copy now! Once you read through it, I guarantee you’ll be thinking, “Oh yeah, I can totally do this!”
You don’t have to sit on the sidelines. You can be the one standing up for your community and protecting your kid’s education. Thanks for taking your Easy Action for this week! ??
Watch This: What’s Happening With Our School Boards?!
School boards are being used to dismantle public education. That sounds really sounds wild to say, right? How can the people elected to support public education be the ones who are attacking it? But it really is happening–And not just in a handful of places. It’s happening in school districts all across our country.
That’s why it is so important to learn about our local school boards and how we can support pro-public education school board candidates. Your Easy A action for this week: watch this short clip of school board member Carrie Douglass talking about what’s happening with our school boards.
Want to listen to the full episode on school board extremism? Check out our full podcast episode The Cost of Extremism – School Board Extremism or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for taking action this week!
Read This: What’s Happening With Our School Boards?!
Something strange is happening with our school boards. In the past few years, local school board elections went from being low-funded, grassroots campaigns to becoming battlegrounds for extremist takeovers. National conservative political groups are pouring excessive amounts of money into these races to get extremists elected to school boards all across America. And it’s happening in your district too.
In 2021, school board races started getting more attention as extremists began manipulating the frustration parents were feeling about COVID-era school closures (You might have even had conversations with parents in your community who were extremely upset over school closures and mask mandates). That frustration created an opening for outside groups. They latched on to that anger and used it to turn those parents
against public schools. And then suddenly, we had a loud, vocal minority of parents disrupting school board meetings, demanding that schools re-open and that mask mandates stop.
In the midst of this chaos, Moms for Liberty was founded, and those same parents who were angry about masks started speaking up at school board meetings about other things – wanting to ban books, attacking school curriculum, and gutting diversity and equity policies. And these attacks didn’t just happen at school board meetings. They started targeting school board members at their homes. Suddenly being a school board member, or even an advocate for public education, could result in personal attacks.
What’s even more disturbing is that these school board fights are meant to look like grassroots efforts, but in reality they’re actually part of a larger attempt by extremist groups to take over school boards and eventually dismantle public education. If that sounds pretty extreme, it’s because it is. And many extremist politicians are actually saying it out loud. And that’s really the bottom line here: public education benefits all of our kids, but extremists want to take it away.
These attacks are hurting our public schools, our teachers and most importantly our kids. Children shouldn’t be paying the price for extremism – but they are. And that’s why we–as parents, educators, and community members–need to know what’s going on.