As People For mourns the loss – and celebrates the life of – our founder Norman Lear, we’re heartened by the thousands of messages we’ve received these past few weeks from members and admirers alike, reflecting on his legacy and the impact he had on their lives.

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to visit People For’s tribute page to Norman where you can learn more about Norman’s legacy and make a contribution in his honor to support our work.

Sign our virtual condolence card for Norman’s family >>

Right Wing Watch is proud to carry on Norman’s commitment to pluralism and equality, and to exposing and challenging the bigotry, divisiveness, and authoritarian impulses of the religious right movement and its political allies. People For grew out of Norman’s own right wing watching. At the end of the 1970s, a decade in which his shows dominated and transformed American television, Norman began viewing televangelists connected to the emerging religious-right political movement as research for a possible television or movie project. He heard a TV preacher leading prayers for the death of a Supreme Court justice. He heard others telling viewers that you could only be a good American if you were the “right” kind of Christian, and you could only be a good Christian if you shared their right-wing politics.

This year, People For made big strides in the fight for the freedom to learn. We took on the College Board, launched our fast-growing Grandparents For Truth program to help stop censorship and stand against Moms for Liberty—who’ve had quite the year themselves—and we helped turn the tide on an over-zealous school board in Temecula. We also sponsored the reading of banned books and handed out some cool swag in support of Banned Books Week.

So, as 2023 comes to a close, let’s look back at this incredible year, celebrate our victories, and look forward to the work still to come in 2024.

Be sure to also read a recent article spotlighting People For’s “Grandparents For Truth” program: “How a group of grandparents is mobilizing to push back against Moms for Liberty” >>

An anti-abortion hardliner says that banning abortion was “front and center throughout the day” during a recent meeting of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, the gathering at which Speaker of the House Mike Johnson declared that God had prepared him to be a “Moses” leading America in this “Red Sea Moment.”

As voters across the country reject MAGA Republicans’ abortion bans, and GOP strategists fear the issue will hurt their electoral prospects in 2024, Johnson has publicly downplayed the priority of a national abortion ban for congressional Republicans. But, as reports make clear, abolishing abortion is still a priority for the religious-right movement from which Johnson emerged.

As the Senate leaves for the holiday break with a total of 166 confirmed judges, including the confirmations of former Attorney General for the Cherokee Nation Sara E. Hill and former federal prosecutor John D. Russell for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, People For the American Way President Svante Myrick released the following statement:

"People For commends President Joe Biden and the Senate, under the leadership of Majority Leader Schumer and Senate Judiciary Chair Durbin, for the tremendous progress made in filling the federal bench with highly qualified and fair-minded judges, who reflect the rich diversity of this country. Biden’s appointed judges bring brilliance and credentialed experiences to the federal bench, and with strong records of commitment to protecting the civil and human rights of all of the people in America, they will ensure equality and justice for all."