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: Spotting and Stopping Disinformation
Disinformation is everywhere, from social media posts to blogs to online influencers. It works because it’s convincing and easy to share quickly.
Disinformation is not just pervasive and persuasive, it’s also persistent! That means we need to create routine, online habits that help us recognize disinformation when we see it. Small actions whenever we are scrolling — like pausing before sharing something to check its source and make sure that it is true — are the best way to stop disinformation in its tracks. This week’s Easy A action will help you learn how to do this.
Janine is going to teach us how to spot trustworthy news online. Even if you can’t make it to the live virtual event on May 22 at 7:30pm ET, take just a moment to sign up for it now, and we’ll email you the recording after the event so that you can watch it in your own time.
Facts matter now more than ever. Janine will show us how this all plays a role in protecting our democracy, so we really hope you’ll join us!
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 hot-off-the-presses survey from YouGov and NewsGuard just reported that one third of Americans believed Russian disinformation when they were shown actual false claims that have been spreading on social media. Less than 1% — regardless of political party — were able to tell that all the claims they were shown were false!
Watch this quick, one minute video from the News Literacy Project about these troubling results and how we can improve our ability to spot this dangerous disinformation and keep it from spreading.
And if you have a little extra time this week, you can check out the News Literacy Project’s free resources on fact-checking, mis- and disinformation, and more. If you’re a teacher, they have a special set of resources and lesson plans just for you!
Read This: Spotting and Stopping Disinformation
Whether we prefer Facebook or Instagram, TikTok or Substack, we’re all scrolling our feeds regularly (maybe more often than we should!). Social media has become a big part of our lives. It has immense power for good, like exposing us to new points of view and connecting us with our community. But social media also gives bad actors an opportunity to take advantage of us by spreading disinformation.
A healthy democracy needs us, its citizens, to be accurately informed, so let’s learn more about disinformation and how we can fight it.
What is disinformation and why is it dangerous?
Disinformation is false information that is being spread on purpose in order to mislead people. It’s different from misinformation, which is inaccurate information being spread without the awareness that it’s not true. But since we can’t always tell if the intent is there or not, we can tackle both in the same way.
First, it’s important to recognize that disinformation is spread by bad actors. These can be foreign adversaries or domestic agitators. They can be governments, organizations or groups, or individuals. They all have the same goal: To mislead and manipulate us in order to divide us. They want to sow distrust among us so that we don’t trust each other, our institutions like schools and courts, and our professionals like teachers, lawyers, doctors, and scientists. While uniting us against common enemies, they promote their points of view and interests, often for political power and financial gain.
We know that bad actors are using disinformation to influence our elections. And Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are making it easier for anyone to create disinformational content. Unfortunately, social media companies are reducing their fact-checking efforts, and the Trump administration is ending federal efforts to fight disinformation online. So it’s increasingly up to us to keep disinformation from spreading.
How Disinformation works (because we can all fall for it)
Spotting disinformation can be tough because it comes in many of the same forms as legitimate information or entertainment. Disinformation can be delivered through:
- Memes or other social media graphics.
- Content disguised as a news article.
- Real news articles (even journalists might include disinformation in their work!).
- Editorials, opinion pieces, and blogs (they have less stringent standards for fact-checking and data-sourcing than journalism does).
- Manipulated or AI generated photos or videos.
- Selected edits of photos, screenshots, or videos removed from their original context.
- Satire presented as fact.
Disinformation thrives in places where people are either too naive or overly confident about our abilities to spot it, but we’re all susceptible! It’s designed to tap into our “fast brain,” the part of our brain that runs on autopilot and emotions, not rationality. Disinformation is designed to elicit an emotional response — shock, anger, fear, horror, joy, or amusement — so that we react and share it quickly without thinking critically about it.
Disinformation is bolstered by the fact that social media is designed to make spreading information impulsive and easy. The algorithms boost content that has lots of reactions and clicks, and those are all driven by that same emotional response.
We also all have confirmation bias — the tendency to believe something if it reinforces or aligns with our current beliefs and values. So if we see something that supports our beliefs, we’re more likely to share it without fact-checking first. Disinformation is designed to work faster than our ability to spot and analyze it, so that’s exactly what we have to do to fight it.
How to stop disinformation from spreading.
It takes work and some reconditioning of our habits, but we can train ourselves to recognize disinformation. Now that we understand that it taps into our “fast brain,” we can be intentional about scrolling social media with our “slow brain” instead, using our reasoning and critical thinking skills. Here are some standards we can use:
- Remember that everything online can be false or manipulated.
- Be aware of our biases.
- Pause and investigate further when something quickly elicits an emotional response.
- Assess who is sharing the information. Are they a real person? Are they reliable? Could they be a bot or fake account?
- Fact-check everything — especially if it elicited strong emotions or seems sensational — using sites like factcheck.org or snopes.com.
- Assess the source of information. Is there a source? Is it a primary source? Is it reliable?
- Check a few reputable sources to see if they have the same information.
- Don’t share if you can’t verify or if it isn’t from a trusted source.
- Don’t repeat disinformation, even if you are trying to debunk it. You don’t want to spread it further, and it’s better to just share the facts!
Our democracy depends on us being informed with accurate information. In this era where real news is being called “fake news” and actual fake news is spreading like wildfire, we can all use these tips to spot and stop disinformation.
Do This: Call Your Senators About the SAVE Act
America may have a history of voter suppression, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it continue! It’s up to us to use our voices to speak out against restrictive voter laws and voter suppression tactics, and we have the opportunity to do that right now.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act. It’s an incredibly restrictive voter ID law that could keep tens of thousands of Americans — especially women — from voting.
The SAVE Act would require showing a passport or a birth certificate, in person, that matches our current last name to register to vote or to update our voter registration for any reason. Let’s be honest, how many women have one of those things handy? (Spoiler: 69 million married women don’t!) Not to mention, the bill would remove online and mail-in voter registration, making it harder for all first-time voters to register, even if they do have the required documents.
The good news is we can stop this outrageous bill from going any further. It will take 60 votes to pass the U.S. Senate. We can make sure that never happens by calling our senators today, and we have a calling tool that makes it really easy for you to do!
Pressed for time? No sweat. Our members’ calls are averaging less than a minute and a half, so you can call both of your senators in under 5 minutes!
Never called your elected officials before? Have no fear! Our tool walks you through it step by step, and we even provide a script to help you figure out what to say. What matters most is that you are using your voice and speaking out.
Let’s make sure this bill — the most restrictive voter bill Congress has ever considered — is dead on arrival. Call your senators today!
Watch This: Modern Day Voter Suppression in America
America has a long history of voter suppression. While the tactics may have changed over time, the reason remains the same — extremists know that their positions are unpopular and that the only way they can win elections is if they keep people from voting.
We talked about the different types of modern day voter suppression laws last week, and unfortunately, we have a perfect example of a voter ID bill looming over us all right now.
The SAVE Act is a huge voter suppression bill, and Speaker Mike Johnson made sure it passed the U.S. House of Representatives this session. Watch here where he was recently caught on a hot mic proving our point — extremists want low voter turnout in elections.
This is why it’s important to vote in every election, and to make sure our friends and family do, too. It’s also important to keep using our voice with our elected representatives.
Fortunately, the SAVE Act has not passed in the U.S. Senate yet, so next week, we’ll give you a way to tell your senators how you feel about this awful bill!
Read This: A History of Voting Rights — and Voter Suppression — in America
The right to vote is one of the most fundamental principles of our democracy, but it hasn’t always been guaranteed for all Americans. And for some of us, it’s still under constant threat. How is that possible? Let’s take a look at the progression of voting rights over time.
A History of Voting Rights and Voter Suppression
When America was founded in 1776, only white, landowning men could vote. Some states further restricted the right to only Christians. In the early 1800s, states began to remove the landowning requirement, allowing more white men to vote.
Black men gained the right to vote in 1870 through the 15th Amendment. But even then, many were not able to exercise that right, because the white people in power put up intentional barriers. They required literacy tests to vote when they knew that Black Americans were educationally disadvantaged, or completely random (and impossible) tests requiring Black voters to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar, or how many bumps were on a cucumber.
They also charged poll taxes — fees for registering and voting — despite Black Americans being economically disadvantaged. White voters were spared by a literal “grandfather clause” that said anyone with a father or grandfather who voted before the abolition of slavery (that is, white men) were excluded from the tax. And there was often intimidation and violence at polling locations from groups like the Ku Klux Klan to keep Black men from voting.
During this time, women were fighting for their voting rights, but white women did not always include Black women in the movement. All women finally gained the right to vote in 1920 through the 19th Amendment.
Progress and Regress
The Civil Rights movement brought about the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which outlawed those discriminatory literacy tests and other barriers to voting based on race. It also established a rule that the federal government would oversee the passage of any new voting laws in states that had a history of racism. This was known as “preclearance” and was meant to protect people of color from new voter suppression laws — and it worked! It led to an immediate surge of new Black voters in the same year. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t happily end there.
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ended preclearance, ruling in Shelby County v. Holder that it was unconstitutional. This meant that the states with a history of discrimination could oversee their own voting laws again. Almost immediately, states began to introduce new, restrictive voter laws.
Modern Day Voter Suppression
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, since Shelby, 29 states have passed 94 new laws making it harder for people to vote. At least 1/3 of those laws likely would’ve been prevented by federal preclearance under the Voting Rights Act if it still existed. And the gap in turnout rates between white voters and voters of color has grown since the decision.
After the 2020 election, 440 voter restriction bills were introduced nationwide. This included a wave of bills targeting mail-in voting, mainly because its growth during the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in voter turnout. In 2023 alone, 356 restrictive voting bills were introduced.
Why does this voter suppression persist? For the same reason it started 250 years ago — the white, Christian men in power want to stay in power and they are afraid that they won’t win elections if there is an increase in more diverse voters. Far-right extremist legislators in districts and states with high populations of voters of color are the ones pushing the hardest for more restrictive voter laws.
What do restrictive voter laws and voter suppression actually look like?
Here are just some examples:
- Laws requiring an approved voter ID (that can be costly and harder for some groups to get).
- Laws restricting and criminalizing voter assistance (like making it a crime to hand out snacks or water to voters waiting in line).
- Putting restrictions on who can hold voter registration drives, and how they’re run.
- Limiting voter registration periods, early voting periods, or polling locations.
- Ending or restricting mail-in voting.
- Purging voter rolls, especially without informing purged voters.
- Unfair drawing of voting districts to favor a certain party (aka gerrymandering).
According to the Brennan Center and the ACLU, these types of laws disproportionately keep Black and brown people from voting. These are usually state laws, but we’re also currently facing federal attempts to suppress voters.
Donald Trump just issued a sweeping Executive Order to take more control over elections and to implement a highly restrictive voter ID requirement nationwide. At the same time, MAGA extremists in Congress are trying to pass the SAVE Act, which has a similarly restrictive ID requirement. These efforts could take away voting rights from tens of thousands of married women, immigrants, transgender people, and new voters.
What Can We Do?
We can all agree that we want safe and fair elections, but passing extremely restrictive voter laws is not how we ensure that. Everyone should be able to vote. In the coming weeks, we’ll dig deeper into what we can do to fight voter suppression and ensure voting rights for all.
Do This: Celebrate Right to Read Day
Monday, April 7 is Right to Read Day — a day to celebrate and defend our freedom to read while we also bring attention to the rising, extremist attempts to take it away. We are a partner with Unite Against Book Bans, a program of the American Library Association, and we hope you’ll join us by taking part in this day.
Earn your Easy A this week by speaking out against book bans and showing your support for reading. Here’s some things you can do:
- Visit your local library.
- Check out a library book.
- Thank your librarian(s) — in person or with a handwritten note!
- And the easiest thing you can do in less than five minutes right now? Spread the word! Share this post on your social media to let people know about the rise in book bans and the importance of standing up for our freedom to read.
Book-banning extremists are loud, but we are the majority. Let’s be louder and celebrate reading on Right to Read Day, and every day!
Watch This: The Right to Read is Under Attack
We are proud to be one of more than 200 organizations and tens of thousands of individuals who make up the American Library Association’s Unite Against Book Bans. Together, we’re helping our communities advocate for the freedom to read.
On April 7, 2025, we’re celebrating Right to Read Day to bring attention to the nationwide rise in book bans and laws targeting librarians and teachers, as well as cuts to library funding and programs. Book banning and censorship have no place in our democracy. No one should be afraid to read, learn, or teach.
Earn your Easy A this week by watching this short video. We’ll be sharing it on social media next week before Right to Read Day, but we’re giving you an exclusive sneak peek! We hope it inspires you to celebrate Right to Read Day with us. Next week, we’ll show you how!
Read This: A New Era of Fighting Book Bans
In a few weeks, we’ll celebrate Right to Read Day as part of National Library Week. National Library Week celebrates how reading and libraries enrich our lives and communities. It started in the 1950s over concerns that Americans were reading less and spending more time listening to radios and watching TV.
Now, in addition to those distractions, we also have the internet and social media keeping us from reading books. In 2024, 37% of American adults did not read or listen to a single book or audio book. Do you know what else is keeping people from reading? A rise in book bans!
This attack on our freedom to read has been happening for years. We’ve written about it before (here and here), but let’s take a look at where things stand with book banning now under the Trump administration, and what we can do about it.
PEN America recorded 10,046 instances of book bans in 29 states and 220 public school districts in the 2023-2024 school year. This is the third year in a row where book bans have increased in America. And that’s just the documented bans where access to books has been limited or completely removed. PEN America is also seeing a rise in “soft censorship” where schools, libraries and teachers are removing books on their own, simply out of fear.
The Trump administration is adding to this fear. President Trump has threatened to block federal funding to schools that don’t follow his executive orders to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and to deny the existence of trans people. We already know that books about race, racism, and LGBTQ+ characters or characters of color are disproportionately targeted by book bans. Trump’s threats and orders could limit the availability of diverse and representative books in public school classrooms and libraries even more.
Just weeks after Trump was inaugurated, the Department of Defense announced that it was removing books from the 160 schools run by the Pentagon for 67,000 children of U.S. military members stationed worldwide. That list included a children’s book written by Oscar-winning actor Julianne Moore about a girl learning to accept her freckles, elementary school materials for Black History Month, and even Vice President JD Vance’s memoir!
This followed an earlier announcement that Trump’s Department of Education was rescinding all previous guidance for schools on how to respond to book bans, removing its anti-book ban coordinator position, and dismissing 17 active or pending civil rights investigations on book bans. These actions ignore the very real threat and impact of book bans on our kids, and it probably won’t stop here.
This threat is an organized effort by extremists to control what we read and learn. As the American Library Association said in response to Trump’s Department of Education actions, book bans are real, they are cruel, and they are unconstitutional. The good news is that we can still fight this by speaking out against book bans, by showing up to support our students, teachers, and librarians, and by celebrating reading. In the coming weeks, we’ll show you how.
Do This: Get Your Copy of the Costs of Conflict Report!
We’ve learned that extremism cost our public schools $3.2 billion last year. Now we’re also seeing that President Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon fully intend to defund and destroy the U.S. Department of Education entirely. That means our public schools can expect to lose even more money that they can’t afford.
With 97.5% of public schools experiencing some level of the extremist-driven culture wars last year, almost every one of nearly 50 million students1 and 3.8 million teachers2 in public schools has felt — or will feel — the impact of this assault. Their stories deserve to be heard.
The Costs of Conflict report includes compelling stories directly from superintendents who were interviewed. Earn your Easy A this week by downloading the full Costs of Conflict Report and giving them a look!
Want to take it one step further? Once you download the report, share it with everyone you know. We give you an easy way to share when you get your copy of the report. Let’s get loud with our support of public education!
