The Network of Suburban Moms Working To Stop Book Bans
Suburban women are a force. Following the 2016 election, it became clear that the contingent of white suburban women could sway the power in the country. But in the months following, other suburban women knew it was time to step up, and in 2018, a group banded together to mobilize this demographic for good.
Red Wine and Blue is a 504(c)(4) corporation working to drive women in the suburbs into action for good. With 250,000 members strong, they’re mobilizing and empowering women who haven’t been or considered themselves activists to get to work in their own communities. They’ve streamlined and simplified ways to connect, to share information, and to contact politicians, stating their support of accurate, inclusive education. The latest focus? Book bans.
“This is not the 1950’s. Every kid should be equipped for the 21st century, and that means learning real history (not fairy tales) and respecting people across our differences. It means ensuring every kid feels safe to learn and thrive at school,” they write about their work against censorship.
The Book Ban Busters campaign features an interactive map of book bans and their current status across the US. Book Ban Busters is more than a map, though. It includes opportunities to report a book ban, sharable creatives to spread the message against book censorship, and opportunities to learn how to get to work.
They’ll be hosting a live, virtual “Troublemaker Training” on Wednesday, February 9, at 7:30 pm Eastern time. It’s free to attend and will equip you to understand what’s at stake with these First Amendment challenges and what role you play in protecting them.
Red Wine and Blue is an antidote to the actions of groups like those actively working to dismantle public education and intellectual freedom.
Stay connected and learn more about the work they’re doing to overturn book bans by following Red Wine,and Blue on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, their newsletter, and through their podcast, The Suburban Women Problem, which has tackled book bans in recent episodes.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
