Leading organizations, concerned Americans, and faith leaders are speaking out against a dangerous proposal from the U.S Department of Education that seeks to “promote patriotic education,” based on the Trump-Vance administration’s political prescriptive and revisionist definitions. Today, more than 30 organizations and more than 640 individuals organized through Democracy Forward submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education (Department), urging the withdrawal of its “Promoting Patriotic Education” proposal and to reaffirm the Department’s commitment to a public education system. Interfaith Alliance, a nationwide network of people of diverse faiths who champion civil rights and healthy boundaries between government and religion, separately led the coordination of a letter signed by 19 major religious denominations and organizations.

Prominent thought leaders, artists, activists, executives, veterans, lawyers and legal scholars, elected officials, and many others today announced the launch of “We Hold These Truths,” a groundbreaking, nationwide effort to promote freedom, equality, and democracy by providing Americans with clear, reliable, and accessible facts about the protections provided under the U.S. Constitution for all people and the work required to safeguard our freedoms and nation’s ideals. The launch coincides with full-page ads running tomorrow, July 4, in The New York Times, Arizona Republic, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dallas Morning News, and San Francisco Chronicle, reaching millions of Americans on Independence Day.