Williamson County mom helps launch national campaign pushing back on 'parents rights' groups

Williamson County parent and advocate Revida Rahman has linked arms with a national campaign organizing parents against what they call "extremists trying to control what our families and kids believe, read and learn."

The campaign, dubbed "Freedom to Parent 21st Century Kids," launched Wednesday. It sits under national organization Red, Wine and Blue, which is geared toward suburban mothers who want to organize and push for change in their schools.

"We are not going to let the mantle of parents’ rights be hijacked by such an extreme minority,” Red, Wine and Blue founder Katie Paris said in a virtual news conference Wednesday.

Here are three key takeaways from the Freedom to Parent campaign launch.

New 'Freedom to Parent' campaign pushes back

The "Freedom to Parent" campaign launched Wednesday in coalition with other national and local organizations, including Williamson County-based parents group One Willco.

A news release from the campaign pointed to conservative parent groups using tactics like fear-mongering and misinformation to upend social and emotional learning; comprehensive sex education; race in U.S. history; arming teachers; gender issues and more. The campaign said it is pushing back against extremists trying to advance their political ambitions and undermine trust in public education and democracy.

The campaign said it marks the first establishment response to the so-called "parents rights" movement.

"Mainstream moms do not want to be told how to raise their children by a loud, vocal minority," the release said. "They want the freedom to parent their kids for the 21st century."

What Williamson County mom, activist Revida Rahman and others said about the campaign

Rahman, who co-founded grassroots group One Willco in 2021 to advance racial equality across Williamson County Schools, also spoke during the Wednesday Zoom call. She said joining the "Freedom to Parent" campaign is an extension of her ongoing work as a parent and advocate.

"Saying nothing is not an option," Rahman said. "I’m not going to let the rocks cry out for me."

From 2021: Parent group One WillCo seeks to address racism in Williamson schools

The call also featured stories from several others, including Stephanie Kline, an LGBTQ advocate from North Carolina; Carrie Wardzinki, a parent and librarian from western Pennsylvania; and Cara Erskine, a mother whose daughter survived the deadly 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan.

Jill Jonassen, a mom in Ohio, shared about a local woman who became a school board member despite not having any children in public schools. The board member has spoken against things like diversity, equity and inclusion; LGBTQ and transgender rights; and even suicide prevention. Jonassen said she and others have come together to take legal action in an attempt to remove the woman from the board.

“Our community has been turned upside down," Jonassen said Wednesday. "Extremism does not belong in our school district."

What is the focus of the campaign?

The campaign positioned itself as an alternative to conservative groups like Moms for Liberty.

"They all have very misleading names," Paris said. "(Moms for Liberty) is one of many groups causing chaos. They represent a narrow minority, even though often one or two of them in a given community can end up in the headlines, as though they are speaking for all parents."

The campaign is designed to unite advocates for things like LGBTQ rights, racial history education, gender issues and social-emotional learning, along with combating book bans.

"Success comes from learning, not banning lessons about slavery or targeting the families of transgender children with political attacks," the campaign news release said.

More information can be found at redwine.blue/FreedomToParent.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee mom helps launch 'Freedom to Parent' campaign