In school board meetings across the nation, as well as in Republican-controlled state and local governments, a reactionary movement to ban books and courses, muzzle teachers and conform curricula to right-wing ideology has coalesced in a group ironically calling themselves "Moms for Liberty." The extremist group is reminiscent of the "massive resistance" segregationist past, when white organizations fought school desegregation while tailoring textbooks to reflect their racist views.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has prepared a thorough look at the so-called "parental rights" group, backed by right-wing money, that threatens public education in the U.S. Some excerpts:
"Thanks in part to its grand disruptions at school board meetings, political alliances and extremist ties, Moms for Liberty has quickly become one of the most recognized names in the anti-student inclusion movement. Founded in early 2021, the organization claims to have a membership of over 100,000 in 250+ chapters in 42 states.
Like the mothers of massive resistance before them, Moms for Liberty is ready to fight tooth and nail to preserve the unseen but understood caste system existing in their public schools and communities. Coming together to fight mask mandates in schools in their own Florida counties, co-founders Tina Descovich, Tiffany Justice and Bridget Ziegler quickly led their troops to the front lines to combat inclusive curriculum, LGBTQ rights and what they see as inappropriate reading material in classrooms and libraries.
Since the group’s 2021 founding, Moms for Liberty members across the nation have been making waves for intimidating and harassing teachers and school officials. They have publicly battled teachers’ unions, labeling them as “cartels” and “terrorist organizations.” They condemn corporations, like The Walt Disney Co., that are supportive of the LGBTQ community. They lobby for parental rights bills, such as the “Don’t Say Gay” law and advocate for anti-critical race theory bills. These groups offer rewards for identifying teachers who violate newly enacted anti-critical race theory (CRT) laws and file complaints after passage of these bills." (our emphasis)
These brownshirt moms are well financed by far-right advocates of "school choice" and have as supporters the likes of former Trump Education Secretary and billionaire Betsy DeVos, who, along with the "Moms for Liberty," has called for the elimination of the Department of Education. Malignant Loser financier / heiress Julie Fancelli helped the group create a political action committee with an infusion of $50,000, just the tip of the iceberg in terms of billionaire right-wing support.
While this group and ones like it may have seized the early initiative, progressive pro-inclusion groups like the non-profit "Support Our Schools" are starting to fight back at the local and state level. So too are teachers' advocates and unions. Just as with the Civil Rights movement, the far right may win some early battles, but with their opposition starting to organize and push back, the war still has a good chance to be won.
(photo: Bigots demonstrating against "CRT" bogeyman. Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters)
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