Welcome to People For’s Truth Newsletter. We’ve got some fantastic updates for you, starting with two recent events hosted by Grandparents For Truth, a program of our nonpartisan affiliate, People For the American Way Foundation:

On January 18th in New York City, Grandparents For Truth gathered to protest Moms for Liberty’s Upper East Side Town Hall. Visitors to the town hall were greeted by groups allied against censorship holding signs, chanting, and playing music to drown out the hateful speech happening inside the town hall. Both People For’s President, Svante Myrick, and National Field Director, Alana Byrd, were in attendance and spoke on our group’s behalf, making it clear that New York City is no place for hate.

On February 25th, in Eatonville, Florida, Grandparents For Truth hosted its inaugural Black History Month Teach-In, where we brought together experts, faith leaders, local activists, grandparents, elected officials, teachers, students, and national partners to talk about the importance of Black history, threats to education, how to fight back, and how to organize in your community.

Grandparents For Truth’s Black History Month teach-in in Eatonville, Florida was an outstanding event, and we were so grateful to talk about Black History with some fantastic partner organizations and special guests. Here, People For’s National Field Director Alana Byrd recaps the event and why these types of actions are so valuable.

Have you seen the news? According to the Washington Post, Moms for Liberty is OUT - and Grandparents For Truth is IN in 2024! Or you might have seen our interview in The 19th! Are you interested in leading your friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and other grandparents in your community to fight for the freedom to learn and read? If you’re interested in launching a local Grandparents For Truth club in your community, let us know by clicking the button below! Group leaders receive a box of merch including t-shirts, buttons, signs, and a banner; as well as resources, training, and personalized, one-on-one guidance for how to fight back against authoritarianism and censorship. If you want to take action but don’t want to lead a group, that’s alright too! Just sign up to be a Grandparent For Truth here and we’ll connect you to local actions.

It’s hard to know exactly how to fight back against the seemingly unending waves of censorship, book bans, and other attacks on education. That’s why we’ve created our How to Fight Censorship activist’s toolkit. It’s full of tips and resources to talk about the issues, organize in your area, and make a difference in the fight for the freedom to learn. We need everyone in this fight, so check out our toolkit and learn how you can stand up for education today.

People For President Svante Myrick wrote a moving piece about the ongoing attacks on education and the racial hatred motivating those attacks. From attempts to ban AP African American Studies courses in Florida to offensive and inaccurate “edutainment,” attacks on the freedom to learn are ongoing, and we can’t ignore the racism and hate at their core.

In Temecula, CA, activists have been pushing forward with the campaign to recall three extremist right-wing school board members. Activists gathered and submitted enough signatures to get the board president on the ballot for the recall which is now set for June 4, 2024. This is the same board president who is also being sued by the ACLU for violating the first amendment rights of the citizens of Temecula. Since the resignation of another problematic school board member last year, the makeup of the board is shifting. We’re excited to continue following these events, and we’ll keep you posted as the recall effort continues.