Posted on October 26, 2023
Survey Results: Your educational experience
Recently, there have been repeated attacks on education in the United States: “Don’t say gay” laws, threats to teachers and librarians, banned books and a manufactured panic about Critical Race Theory (CRT). We were interested in your thoughts on education and your experience with schools to see how things have changed over time. We were thrilled to receive over 3,000 thoughtful responses.
The attacks on education are a backlash against progressive progress in education. Progress may be slow, but there is progress. In almost every area we surveyed, the educational experience became more inclusive and more progressive. Younger respondents read more books by LGBTQ+ authors or authors of color. Younger respondents were more likely to be taught about LGBTQ+ history or Jim Crow. There is more coverage of consent and sexual orientation in Sex Ed classes.
Progress leads to backlash. And that is why CREDO supports groups like Zinn Education Project and Facing History and Ourselves. We need to keep moving forward. We can’t go back.
What we found:
Lots of books by straight, White men.
We did not see a lot of diversity in the books read in high school.
- 87% of responders did not read a book by an LGBTQ+ Author.
- 40% did not read a single book by an author of color.
- 24% read less than 2 books by women in high school.
We did see some trends by age and those who graduated from high school more recently were more likely to read books by women, authors of color and LGBTQ+ authors. Unfortunately, we did not have much data from current high school students to see how much things have continued to change.
If you are interested in catching up on authors you may have missed in high school, please check out our Bookshop.org affiliate. This is a great place to find new books and help raise money for independent bookstores. CREDO earns a commission on every book sold. We have recommendations for books by LGBTQ+ authors, authors of color, women authors and even a list of most banned books. That said, you can find just about any book you are looking for there. Why shop at Amazon, when you can support CREDO and independent bookstores?
Book banning is in the news, but not a new problem.
Only ~10% of responders mentioned a controversy about a book while in school. The most common books mentioned were Catcher in the Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird and Tropic of Cancer. Other books mentioned included books by Toni Morrison and Mark Twain.
Over 250 of the educators who responded had a book or lesson plan challenged. Many of these challenges were around LGBTQ+ inclusion. Others about religion. Apparently, The Crucible can be interpreted as instructions in witchcraft. Fortunately, in most of these cases, the teachers were supported.
The best comment on censorship was, “The AP Bio book had to have some pages glued together because they discussed abortion.”
What is taught in history is changing.
When asked about topics that were controversial or did not present the United States in the best light, we see that these topics are more likely to be covered in history classes than they used to be. There has been a growing movement on the right to suppress the teaching of many of these topics, but at least from our respondents, the trend had been in the right direction. For example, 49% of respondents over age 45 covered the Japanese Internment. That is up to 64% for respondents under age 45.
The Civil War is taught differently depending on where you went to school.
Responders who went to high school in the former Confederate states were more likely to have been taught the Civil War was about something other than slavery.
- 42% of responders from former Confederate states were taught the war was about State’s Rights. Only 22% of students from other states were taught that.
- 24% of responders from former Confederate states were taught that the Confederacy was a “noble lost cause.”
More than 2/3 of all respondents were taught “brother fought against brother” while only 25% of respondents were taught about African American soldiers fighting in the war. Only 9% were taught stories that centered African Americans.
Perspectives on evolution are evolving.
The teaching of evolution used to be highly controversial, but that has changed. 88% of respondents under age 45 were taught evolution in school. This is up from 75% for older respondents. Evolution was less likely to be taught in religious high schools.
Sex Ed – has changed over time.
Results from the survey show that more topics are covered in Sex Ed. Older respondents were far less likely to have covered topics like Consent, Masturbation, and Gender and Sexual Orientation. Only 15% of those over 55 covered Abortion in their Sex Ed classes, while 39% covered Abortion in their Sex Ed classes.
The increased coverage of these topics is positive, but it is shocking that half as many Sex Ed courses cover abortion as do abstinence – even for more recent high school graduates.
Notes on responses and methodology.
We were thrilled to get over 3,000 responses to this survey. While the information we gathered is fascinating, we do know that it is not representative of the country at large. Given that most responses came from emails to CREDO members, this is not a representative sample in terms of geography or political leanings. Additionally, the respondents were extremely well educated, with 50% of respondents having a graduate degree.
We were very glad to get so many responses from educators. 41% of respondents were teachers of some sort – with 25% teaching in elementary school through high school. Their perspectives were valuable.
Other quotes we just had to share
There were many, many insightful, personal responses. More than we could possibly share, but we wanted to share a sample of some of them.
“History classes must study and discuss historical facts even if those facts are a painful part of our history. How will we keep from repeating history of we do not?”
“So much progress is being erased by a few very conservative people. I would not want to teach now nor have a child in public school.”
“Teachers need better pay and greater respect.”
“I feel really grateful that my child’s school here in Chicago is doing a much better job with these topics!”
“Only as others my age have said – “I can’t believe we are still protesting this shit”.
“It’s taken me years to realize how white, Euro-centric and male-oriented my whole education was. We need to balance this out and also be honest about our country’s history.”
“Thank you for helping dig through the musty memories and all you do to raise awareness of the degradation of education today.”
“Teachers touched my life forever. They were excellent role models and outstanding individuals.”
Posted on October 12, 2023
New life for old devices: 5 ways you can repurpose your outdated gadgets
We all do it. When we get a new device, we toss the old one in a drawer, there to languish till doomsday. Which, alarmingly, seems to grow closer all the time. And which is why we recently launched the CREDO Climate Project —to give you doable, difference-making ways to combat climate change.
But anyway, back to those old gadgets. Don’t mothball them, repurpose them. Here are five ways you can give new life to an outdated device.
Turn an old phone into a security camera
A lot of people buy a new phone because they want a better camera. But the camera in your old phone or tablet is still plenty good enough to serve a purpose. That purpose can be keeping an eye your home.
You can convert an old phone into a security camera in a few quick steps with an app like AlfredCamera or WardenCam. Just go to the App Store or Google Play and download the app to both the old device and your current phone.
Setup is easy and there are no monthly fees for the basic versions. Your old phone works as the camera, your new phone works as the monitor. You can view a live feed remotely to watch any space, observe a pet or monitor a child from another room.
Turn an old tablet into a media viewer or old phone into a music player
As our devices do more, their batteries need charging more often. To preserve the battery life on your new tablet, use an old tablet as a dedicated media player. Keep an outdated iPad next to your Apple TV or an Android tablet by your Chromecast dongle. An added plus is that anyone can watch without the hassle of logging in or unlocking the screen.
If you listen to a lot of music, audio books or podcasts, use an old phone to play them. This will save the battery on your new phone and keep it free of storage-consuming files, which will help it perform better.
Turn an old laptop into a media hub
When you run a lot of programs and store a lot of files on your laptop, it works more slowly. So repurpose an old laptop as a media hub. Store music and videos on it and stream them from there. This will ease the burden on your new laptop.
Turn an old phone into a GPS device
It’s not a good feeling to watch your phone die when you’re using it to find your way. If you’re out in the wild and your battery goes to 0%, so, often, does your hope of getting back home.
So repurpose an old phone to a dedicated GPS device and use it when you’re out hiking or biking. Because it is tasked with only that function, its charge will last longer.
Donate your old devices
Once they’re replaced, old devices usually don’t have a lot of value to their owners, which is why they end up in a drawer. But they do have value to a lot of nonprofit organizations, which can use your old devices to fund their causes.
Unfortunately, you can’t donate an outdated device directly to a nonprofit of your choice. They’re not set up to handle old devices. But you can use a service like GreenDrop, Cell4Pets or Recycling for Charities.
Here’s another way to support the nonprofits that are working for causes you believe in: join CREDO Mobile. Just by using our service, you’ll generate donations for nonprofit groups fighting to make our world a more sustainable, fair and equal place.
These donations cost you nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits we support. Since 1985, we’ve given over $94 million to progressive groups like Earthjustice, Planned Parenthood and the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
Join today and you’ll get the good feeling that comes with knowing you support the causes important to you just by using your phone. You’ll also get everything you want from a phone company: fast, friendly customer service and nationwide coverage on the top-rated, most reliable network.
Posted on October 11, 2023
Defend our democracy: Support the Brennan Center for Justice
Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This October, the Brennan Center for Justice is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will help the Brennan Center as it works to reform, revitalize and, when necessary, defend our country’s systems of democracy and justice—for all.
Read this important post about the Brennan Center’s critical work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to the Brennan Center for Justice to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding October grantees.
American democracy faces unprecedented, unrelenting attacks that grow ever bolder in their attempts to undermine our country’s foundations. The Brennan Center for Justice, a leading nonpartisan agency for democracy reform, is fighting against these attacks and for our principles on multiple fronts. Since 1995, our expertise, innovation, partnerships and proven track record have placed us at the forefront of a growing movement—one that seeks to revitalize, reform and protect our systems of democracy and justice.
At the height of the pandemic, the Brennan Center and our allies worked with election officials across the country to combat widespread disinformation, vote suppression and threats of violence against poll workers during the 2020 election cycle. Our efforts resulted in record voter turnout and one of the smoothest elections in recent history. Yet antidemocratic forces refused to accept defeat. They lied about a stolen election. They filed meritless lawsuits. They stormed the Capitol and election deniers refused to certify valid election results even after witnessing the horrifying attack on the seat of government. They brazenly tried to hold onto power however they could.
Since then, antidemocratic forces have only ramped up their assaults, using every tool at their disposal to strip away the right to vote from eligible citizens and defy constitutional law. But the Brennan Center, thanks to individuals and organizations like CREDO Mobile, is well prepared to meet the growing challenges. We are committed to fighting for an American democracy that lives up to its ideals—and one that works for all of us.
With just over a year left before the 2024 presidential election, our work ahead will focus on protecting the election. This will include countering attempts to restrict voting access and ensuring the safety of election officials who are simply doing their jobs. We will continue to fight fiction with facts, battling deliberate efforts to sow mistrust in the election process. And we will continue to help the most marginalized communities fight for fair representation.
We defend free and fair elections
There is a powerful, coordinated plot to rig elections, target voters of color and subvert valid election results. The Brennan Center has a four-part strategy to protect the next election from that plot, concentrating our efforts in battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Texas, where our partnerships and demonstrated effectiveness run deep.
Stopping election subversion. The Brennan Center wrote the national plan to save the last presidential election. Now we will leverage our credibility to urge states to adopt five essential steps to ensure the integrity of the 2024 election cycle—steps that include clear standards of conduct for poll watches and improvements to the handling of mailed ballots. We are also prepared to go to court to stop radicals from upending election results and halt voter intimidation. Already, we successfully directed legal and messaging campaigns that led the Supreme Court to reject the radical “independent state legislature theory,” which would have given state legislatures unchecked power to suppress and gerrymander votes.
Supporting election officials. Election workers experienced an extraordinary level of threats against themselves and their families during the 2020 election cycle. The Brennan Center’s strong advocacy helped secure $1 billion in funding to support state election administration. For the 2024 election cycle, we are partnering with current and former election officials to strengthen infrastructure, prepare for disruptions and confront the new threats that artificial intelligence poses to our democratic process, such as supercharging disinformation.
Fighting voter suppression. The Brennan Center won six court cases against the Ohio legislature over its extreme gerrymanders yet the legislature continues to defy rulings in our favor. We are now working with our plaintiffs to put independent redistricting on the ballot for 2024, lending our nonpartisan policy expertise, rigorous research, and media savvy to this and other state battles.
Educating the public. The power of public opinion to change the course of history is well proven and the Brennan Center aims to win more advocates for democracy in this space. With 350,000 newsletter subscribers and a wide social media following across several platforms, we provide trusted sources of information and analysis. Journalists and allies use our research, explainers and op-eds to drive awareness and impact. The Brennan Center also created Brennan en Espanol, a website with translations of our more pertinent pieces that reach a Spanish-speaking audience. And we just launched the State Court Report, a site that tracks constitutional law cases and developments across 50 states. With a conservative Supreme Court, state courts take on greater importance in the fight to protect individual rights against regressive rulings.
Your support will strengthen democracy
Your vote for the Brennan Center for Justice in this month’s CREDO Mobile donations election will ensure that our expert staff and leadership can remain independent, stand firm against forces determined to bring American democracy down and find groundbreaking solutions that strengthen our democracy.
Posted on October 4, 2023
Our September grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for climate justice, strengthening our democracy and empowering AAPI women and girls. In September, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among 350.org, Democracy Forward and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our August grant recipients thank you.
350.org
“Thank you CREDO Members! While our vision is ambitious, with your support we can achieve it. Your efforts will help to build a powerful climate movement and engage the generations that will lead us tomorrow toward a better future.” – May Boeve, Executive Director, 350.org
To learn more, visit https://350.org.
Democracy Forward
“Thank you for supporting Democracy Forward’s work. With your help, we will continue to represent our clients free of charge, ensuring that attacks on democracy and social progress are challenged and that we can build a democracy for all Americans.” – Skye L. Perryman, JD, President and CEO
To learn more, visit democracyforward.org.
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
“Thank you for your support of our movement. CREDO members like you make NAPAWF’s work possible– CREDO grants will support AAPI women in our community to take action for gender, racial, and economic justice.” – Isra Pananon Weeks, Interim Executive Director and Chief of Staff, NAPAWF
To learn more, visit https://www.napawf.org.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in October, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on October 3, 2023
Vote for Animal Legal Defense Fund, Brennan Center for Justice and National Network to End Domestic Violence this October
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly grant to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This October, you can support groups fighting to protect animals, defending democracy and ensuring the right to vote, and advocating for domestic violence victims. Learn more about these amazing groups below.
Animal Legal Defense Fund
The Animal Legal Defense Fund files high-impact lawsuits to protect animals, provides free legal assistance to prosecutors, supports tough animal protection legislation, and provides opportunities for law students and professionals to advance animal law.
Funding from CREDO will help us fight on multiple fronts to end the cruelty animals endure and hold the industries and individuals responsible for their suffering accountable. You can help ensure animals are treated with the kindness and respect they deserve.
Brennan Center for Justice
American democracy faces unprecedented attacks. The Brennan Center believes the best way to defend our democracy is to strengthen it. We work to craft and advance a transformative reform agenda — solutions that aim to make our democracy work for all.
A grant from CREDO will support the Brennan Center for Justice in our advocacy for real democracy reform, fight voter suppression tactics, and work for a fair justice system – through in-depth research, top-notch litigation, and bold solutions.
National Network to End Domestic Violence
NNEDV is a leading national voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates. Our direct connection with victims and advocates gives us a unique understanding of survivors’ safety needs, their pathways toward healing, and the resources they need to stay safe, seek justice, and live an independent life.
Funding from CREDO members will support NNEDV’s work with our membership of the 56 state and U.S. territorial domestic violence coalitions and ultimately help improve outcomes for survivors, their families, and their communities.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donations among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by October 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and join our movement.
Posted on October 1, 2023
Puppy mills are harming innocent animals: You can make a difference
Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This October, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will help the Animal Legal Defense Fund protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system.
Read this important blog post about the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s critical work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to the Animal Legal Defense Fund to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding October grantees.
Most of us care about protecting animals from cruelty. We’re outraged by abuse and neglect, and we try to do right by the animals in our lives.
But all too often the cruelty takes place out of sight and out of mind—at a puppy mill.
These commercial breeding operations are notoriously inhumane, but many people who purchase a mill-bred puppy do so without even knowing it. Animals bred in mills are commonly sold at pet stores, by “puppy brokers,” in parking lots or flea markets, or in online transactions through Craigslist or misleading websites that inaccurately portray “humane” conditions. False health assurances, socialization claims, and even sham “rescue” credentials may be provided.
It’s important for animal lovers to have the facts so they can avoid inadvertently supporting the cruel puppy mill industry—and, ultimately, help end it once and for all.
What is a puppy mill?
The term generally refers to a large-scale commercial dog-breeding facility where the emphasis is on profits over the well-being of the dogs. The goal of puppy mills is to produce as many puppies as possible, as quickly as possible, without regard for their long-term physical or psychological health or that of their parents.
The dogs are generally kept in crowded, unsanitary conditions. They often lack quality food, clean water, veterinary care, and proper socialization. The mother “breeder” dogs may give birth to multiple litters per year throughout their adult lives. They, and aging father dogs, are commonly abandoned or killed when they’re no longer considered “useful” to the mill.
As a result of the breeding and care practices in puppy mills, it is common for mill-bred animals to suffer from genetic and hereditary conditions or communicable diseases that can be deadly. Additionally, many mill-bred dogs experience behavioral and psychological problems throughout their lives from a lack of early socialization and being weaned too young.
Isn’t that against the law?
The primary animal-protection law in the U.S., the Animal Welfare Act, provides certain bare-minimum protections for animals in puppy mills. Unfortunately, these standards are insufficient and rarely enforced.
For example, the Animal Welfare Act provides minimum space requirements for dogs in puppy mills—but the minimum required by law is a mere 6 inches above a dog’s head and beyond the tip of her nose. She may be forced to spend the majority of her life in that small space—often a barren wire cage
—without ever being able to run or play.
What can be done?
The Animal Legal Defense Fund and other advocates across the country are fighting to end puppy mill cruelty. We’re filing lawsuits, passing legislation, directly rescuing and caring for animal victims, and much more. And everyone who cares about animals can help!
Spread the word to friends and family about this issue, and educate them about the danger of buying animals online.
Many mills, and puppy brokers who work with them, use online platforms like Craigslist to advertise puppies. Urge Craigslist to shut down all animal sales on its platform, and if you or someone you know has been victimized through a Craigslist animal sale, share the story with the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Sign the No More Puppy Mills Pledge, and share it online to raise awareness.
Learn more by listening to Neon Hum Media’s podcast Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin—which partially focuses on an Animal Legal Defense Fund class-action lawsuit—and dive into the listening guide for further details, documents, photos, and more.
Advocate for state and local retail pet sale bans. Laws make it illegal for pet stores to sell dogs and cats (and sometimes other animals, such as rabbits) who are sourced from large-scale commercial breeders, and encourage them to offer rescued animals for adoption in partnership with local shelters and rescue groups. Hundreds of U.S. cities and counties, as well as multiple states, have already enacted such laws. The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s free on-demand webinar can show you how to help pass a retail pet sale ban where you live!
Urge your lawmakers to support federal legislation that would improve the lives of dogs in puppy mills. Current bills being considered by Congress include: Goldie’s Act, which would improve oversight of puppy mills and enable inspectors with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to confiscate dogs who are suffering; the Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act, which would improve the licensing and renewal process for animal dealers and other animal-related businesses regulated by the Animal Welfare Act, such as zoos and circuses; and the Puppy Protection Act, which would raise standards for conditions in puppy mills by prohibiting overbreeding and requiring larger enclosures, access to the outdoors, a consistent feeding schedule, prompt treatment of illnesses and injuries, and daily socialization, among other improvements.
Your vote through CREDO Mobile is a vote in support of a world where all animals are protected from abuse. Thank you. To learn more, visit ALDF.org, sign up to stay informed, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X.
Posted on October 1, 2023
Help create a world where domestic violence no longer exists
Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This October, the National Network to End Domestic Violence is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will help NNEDV address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence.
Read this important blog post about NNEDV’s critical work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to NNEDV to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding October grantees.
Domestic violence is devastating. According to the CDC, about 47% of women and 44% of men in the U.S. have experienced violence from a partner during their lives. Worse, domestic violence disproportionately impacts people already experiencing discrimination and challenges, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, People of Color, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, older people, and people living on limited incomes.
Domestic violence isn’t only physical violence, either. It’s a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that can also include emotional, verbal, sexual, and financial harm. It can be hard to identify and even harder to escape, especially for victims and survivors who don’t have the support or resources they need. There is no one solution to end domestic violence, but at the National Network to End Domestic Violence we believe that, working together across different sectors and from all different angles, we can create a world where domestic violence no longer exists.
Working to end domestic violence for over 30 years
NNEDV was formed in 1990, when a small group of domestic violence victim advocates came together to promote federal legislation related to domestic violence. In 1994, we led efforts to pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), authored by then-Senator Joe Biden. The historic law was the first federal legislation to strengthen the government’s response to crimes perpetrated against victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Today, NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way communities respond to domestic violence, and strengthen efforts against domestic violence at every level of government.
As the membership organization of the 56 state and U.S. territorial domestic violence coalitions, NNEDV’s work with our membership and the almost 2,000 local domestic violence programs they represent informs all of our initiatives. Our direct connection with victims and advocates gives us a unique understanding of survivors’ safety needs, their pathways toward freedom, and the resources they need to live an economically sustainable and independent life.
Wide-ranging programs to support victims
When you support NNEDV, you strengthen our work across multiple disciplines including:
- Advocacy work to serve as a strong voice for the ongoing and emerging needs of domestic violence victims, as well as advocacy programs on Capitol Hill and within the White House administration.
- Responding to technology abuse, supporting survivors in their use of tech, and harnessing tech to improve services through the Safety Net project.
- Domestic violence program and coalition capacity-building.
- Supporting transitional housing programs across the country and advocating for improved housing-related policies.
- Addressing the intersection of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
- Economic justice initiatives to strengthens advocates’ financial expertise to help domestic violence survivors move from short-term safety to long-term security.
- The one-of-a-kind Independence Project providing credit-building microloans to survivors of financial abuse.
- The annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, which informs local and national policy decisions by providing a snapshot of the services people received, requested, and were turned away from because programs lacked resources.
- The WomensLaw Email Hotline and WomensLaw.org, which provide free, plain-language legal information and support in both English and Spanish for survivors, their advocates, and their loved ones.
Your support makes our work possible, whether we’re organizing against dangerous court rulings that allow abusers to own guns, raising awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, monitoring the ongoing impacts of abortion restrictions on survivors, or supporting our field team in the work they do each and every day to improve outcomes for survivors, their families, and their communities.
As one WomensLaw Email Hotline user shared recently with us, “Thank you so much. You have given me the support and direction I needed to keep going.”
Your vote through CREDO Mobile is a vote in support of a world where domestic violence no longer exists. Thank you. To learn more, visit NNEDV.org, sign up for our emails, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X.
Posted on September 29, 2023
CREDO Mobile supports Banned Books Week in the fight against censorship
Book bans are in the news. But they’re not new. They’re yet another attempt by a small group of conservative extremists to tell the rest of us what we can think and do.
Seventy-three percent of Americans oppose book bans. Yet they go on, these right-wing crusaders, angrily demanding that schools and libraries across the country ban any book that reminds them the straight, white, regressive culture they revere is fading away. They say it’s about protecting the innocence of children. It’s not. It’s about suppressing the progressive ideas they fear and loathe.
We the people—the three-quarters of Americans who oppose book bans—can stop them. We can tell those extremists to keep their hands off our books and stop trying to control the minds of kids.
But to do it, we have to work together. We have to show up at schools and libraries, contact our elected officials, write letters to the editor and make our voice heard.
We can also unite around events like Banned Books Week, October 1-7, 2023, an annual event that advocates the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community—librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers and readers of all types—in support of the freedom to seek and express ideas.
CREDO Mobile stands against censorship. That’s why we’re a proud backer of Banned Books Week. And that’s why we just put up a list of banned books in the CREDO Mobile bookstore on Bookshop.org.
Bookshop.org connects readers with independent booksellers around the world. (Disclosure: CREDO Mobile is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
Bookshop.org knows that local bookstores are vital community hubs that foster culture, curiosity and a love of reading, and it’s committed to helping them thrive. The site gives independent bookstores a platform to compete against Amazon, as every purchase at the site supports independent bookstores financially and helps them maintain their presence in local communities. Make a purchase – of a banned book or any other book that interests you – at the CREDO Mobile store and you’ll also generate donations for progressive nonprofits.
Join us in the fight against censorship
We recognize the danger of censorship. We know who’s behind it, why they do it and we will always fight against it. We also support our partners in this fight with much-needed funding, including partners like Zinn Education Project, Facing History and Ourselves, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, Teaching for Change and the American Library Association.
Since 1985, we’ve supported nonprofit groups like these, advocating for education and the free expression of ideas. All these donations are generated by our members, just by using our service. They cost nothing extra—but they mean everything to the groups we fund.
If you’re a CREDO Mobile member, thank you for standing with us against book bans and censorship. If you’re not a member, please consider joining now. You’ll get all you want from a phone company: the nation’s top-rated network, competitive plans, great deals on new phones and friendly, responsive customer service.
And you’ll get much more. You’ll get an easy, effective way to make a difference in the world by generating much-needed donations to progressive nonprofits fighting for the causes you believe in, like education, human rights and economic equality.
Posted on September 18, 2023
Small actions make a big difference: Join the CREDO Mobile Climate Project
Life as we know it is facing its end. Not in some far-off future, not in two generations or 200 years. Not then, now.
How in the world did we get here? Scientists first warned about climate change back in the mid-’60s. We humans—we collectively—should have listened. But instead we went on taking those small actions and making those small choices that brought us to where we are: near the end.
That’s how we got here. So how do we get out of here? The same way: small actions, small choices. Given the enormity of the climate crisis, it may sound hopeless. It isn’t. It’s the only hope we’ve got.
“Like the hummingbird in Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai’s inspiring tale, the little things we do in the face of the climate crisis are not insignificant drops in the vast ocean of challenges. Instead, they are the courageous acts of individuals who refuse to stand idle. Just as the tiny hummingbird carries water droplets to extinguish a forest fire, our collective ‘little things’ hold the power to ignite a wave of change that will shape a more sustainable and resilient world for generations to come.”
That’s Charity Migwi, Africa regional campaigner for 350Africa.org, an African grassroots movement coming together to champion solutions that will ensure a better future for all. She knows small actions can save our planet.
We know it too. That’s why CREDO Mobile has partnered with 350.org and four other groups fighting for our climate—the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, the League of Conservation Voters and the YEARS Project—to launch the CREDO Climate Project, a campaign that encourages everyone to take those small yet meaningful actions that will halt climate change.
Actions like switching to electric school buses, stopping subsidies for the petrochemical industry and investing in clean-energy jobs. Yes, individually they seem small. But together they are mighty. Ready to start? Join the CREDO Climate Project.
Plant the tree
“Every little thing we do in the climate fight has the possibility of inspiring something greater,” says Vernon Church, managing director of the YEARS Project. “Greta Thunberg began by spending her Fridays standing outside the Swedish parliament holding a small sign. That simple act inspired millions to be warriors for the planet. It made us all realize we had a right and an obligation to fight for our future. Your job is not to ask how high people will climb. Your job is simply to plant the tree.”
Planting a tree is one way you can make a difference. There are many others. You can ride a bike to work or take public transit. You can eat more vegetables and less meat. You can give a lift to a voter at election time.
“Seemingly small actions around our elections like driving someone to the polls or registering just one more person to vote helps ensure more voters can access their rights and have a voice in their community,” says Justin Kwasa, Democracy Program director at the League of Conservation Voters. “The rights to breathe clean air, drink clean water and pass on a sustainable climate to future generations rely on a healthy democracy.”
Get politically active
Our government is divided as it has not been since the Civil War. Among all the many differences between the two major parties, the starkest is this: one believes in a better future and making long-term efforts to get there, the other is devoted to short-term profit—political profit for itself and monetary profit for the corporations that back it, whatever havoc they wreak on our world.
“The climate emergency is an all hands-on-deck situation, where everyone can make a difference,” says Jean Su, Energy Justice Program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While some of us can make consumer changes like switching to solar and being more energy-efficient, the biggest contribution people can make is getting politically active and urging President Biden and all of our political leaders to speed the end of fossil fuels. Their decisions ultimately control the U.S.’s unique position as the world’s largest oil and gas producer, and it’s up to us to get them to change their ways and use their vast legal powers to transition us off deadly fossil fuels and into just, renewable energy.”
They will, if we push them hard enough. Although many politicians seem beyond the reach of reason, they will act for the climate when it makes sense (and dollars)—which renewable energy now does. For instance, land-based, utility-scale wind turbines are one of today’s lowest-priced energy sources and even deeply conservative states populated by climate deniers are embracing wind. What state generates the most wind power? Deep-red, oil-loyal Texas. If you press your politicians to follow Texas’ example, we can get more renewable energy up and running across the U.S.
“Taking on powerful interests is no small matter, especially when it comes to the climate crisis,” says Zarah Patriana, senior digital-advocacy manager for Earthjustice. “Polluting industries are often well-resourced. However, our collective small actions of fighting for a cleaner and healthier environment can make a big difference. From flooding the phone lines of the White House to sending a letter to your Congressperson to marching in the streets—all of it adds up. Because decision-makers pay attention when they see that we are paying attention and that’s a pathway to creating change.”
Join CREDO Mobile
Here’s another pathway to creating change: switch to CREDO Mobile, the phone company that cares about our climate as much as you do. It’s a small action, yes, but it will make a difference. Just by using our service, you’ll generate donations for nonprofit groups fighting to save our planet, groups like our partners in the CREDO Mobile Climate Project.
These donations cost you nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits we support. Since 1985, we’ve given over $94 million to progressive groups dedicated to a better, more sustainable future.
Join today and you’ll get the good feeling that comes with knowing you support climate action, just by using your phone. And you’ll get everything you want from a phone company: fast, friendly customer service and nationwide coverage on the top-rated, most reliable network.
Posted on September 14, 2023
How to charge your phone faster
You’re about to go out the door for the day (or the night) and, oh snap, your phone battery is in the red. If you have just a few minutes, you won’t be able to reach 100%, of course, but you can quickly put in enough juice to get you to the next charging point. Here’s how.
Turn it off
Your phone is full of complex electronics, like memory chips, a CPU and various radios that send and receive signals. All of these consume power and, when your phone is on, they’ll keep consuming it, which means your phone will charge more slowly. Turn your phone off and it’ll charge faster.
Switch to airplane or low-power mode
If you need to keep your phone turned on, you can put it in airplane or low-power mode before you plug it into the charger. It will charge more quickly. Airplane mode will disable all wireless functions, so you won’t be able to make or receive calls, send texts or go online. Your phone will also disconnect from all WiFi connections.
Or you can switch your phone to low-power mode, which will dim your screen and run some of your phone’s regular checks and refreshes—like registering new emails and updating the news—less often. It will also turn off your virtual assistant, wo you won’t be able to prompt your phone with “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri.” If you have a 5G phone, it will switch back to 4G. You can find low-power mode in Settings > Battery.
Plug into a wall outlet
Charging your phone from a wall socket is faster than charging it from a USB port on your computer. Most USB ports charge at fewer amps than plug-in chargers, which means plug-in chargers work faster.
Use an iPad charger for your iPhone
If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you can use your iPad charger to charge your phone more quickly, especially if you have fast-charge compatible cables and devices. An iPad charger is more powerful and, contrary to rumor, it won’t “burn out” your iPhone battery. Your phone will only take the charge it needs. Apple endorses charging your iPhone with an iPad charger, which means you won’t cancel your AppleCare coverage if you do.
Keep your phone cool
Your phone battery will charge faster if it’s not hot, so keep your phone out of the sun when you’re charging it. It’s also a good idea to take your phone out of its case when you’re charging it. In general, you should keep your phone as cool as you can as often as you can, because overheating may permanently damage your battery.
Clean your charging port
Dust and lint love small places like your phone’s charging port—and your phone won’t charge efficiently if the port is dirty.
First, turn off your phone. Next, blow out the port with a hand air blower (which looks kind of like a turkey baster). Avoid canned air, which is bad for people and the planet. Wrap a little cotton around the end of a toothpick and lightly dampen the cotton with a cleaning alcohol like isopropyl alcohol. Rub the cotton back and forth inside the port. Then blow it out again.
When it’s charged up and fully functioning, your phone is a powerful tool. But did you know there’s one phone with a power no other phone has? A CREDO Mobile phone. When you join CREDO Mobile, your phone has the power to change the world.
That’s because CREDO Mobile members generate vital funding for nonprofit groups working hard for progressive causes like equal rights, economic justice and a cooler climate. Since 1985, we’ve donated over $94 million to Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood, Earthjustice, the National LGBTQ Task Force, Social Security Works and dozens of others.
These donations cost our members nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits we support.
Join us and you’ll get all you want from a phone company: the nation’s top-rated network, competitive plans, great deals on new phones and friendly, responsive customer service.
And you’ll get the good feeling that comes with membership in a phone company that’s working hard for the progressive causes you believe in.
Switching is easy. You can keep your current phone number and bring the phone you have now. We’ll send you a free SIM card. If you’re looking for a new phone, we have a wide range of the latest models. And we offer a variety of affordable plans, including data plans from 1GB to unlimited, all with unlimited talk and text.
