About Us

More Than 80 Years of Championing Equity for Women

AAUW seeks to promote inclusion and awareness for all members to create an equitable, sustainable and inclusive membership reflective of today's world.

MARCH: DIVERSITY, EQUITY and INCLUSION

Book Banning and Why It Affects All of Us

Books, texts and supplemental reading materials that support our state mandated public school curriculum are the bones of our public schools.

As most of us are products and teachers of those same schools and colleges and universities, we know the importance of basic information for our future leaders and voters, our children. Books and the public education they support are the foundation of our future democracy.

So, now I’ll climb down from my soapbox and share some facts:

  • 26 states have banned over 1100 books from their public and school libraries, a 33% increase since 2020 according to Kathi Harper, AAUW-CA’s School Board Project Chair.
  • Much of the push for bans is supported by political agendas, PACs and their money. Groups such as “Moms for Liberty” have chapters in every state and claim to support parents’ rights, but seem to be much more about getting schools to align with their personal religious and political views and to elect school board candidates that support hurtful, diminishing policy.
  • Book Banning is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issue as well as a Public Policy issue for us as AAUW members.
  • Most of the banning demands are counter to our Public Policy Priority of Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students, including: Access to diverse staff and curriculum that represents historically accurate information.
  • As the majority of the books banned have LGBTQ characters, issues and racial-minority themes, banning also runs counter to another AAUW-CA Public Policy Priority: Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society.
  • Is book banning happening at our Redding Library or in the Shasta Public Libraries? I asked Jessie Spragge, our new Assistant Library Director this recently. The good news is “No.” Parents occasionally bring a book from the children’s section to her and ask if it should be there. She says it is the librarian’s responsibility to place books in the proper library collection, such as Teen, Adult or Children.
  • The age ranges for these collections are determined by our local librarians. Their decisions are partly based on publisher designations, ALA (American Library Association) guidance and local norms. Determinations are often made based on the age of a book’s characters as well as themes. A book questioned is often only mis-assigned. A questioned book can be moved to the adult section, but not removed from the library. Totally banning a book from all readers is a government decision, not a library decision. MORE...

Our Vision Is Simple

We bring people together for the common goal of breaking through educational and economic barriers for women and girls.

Our Mission Is Sound

Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

AAUW Redding Branch

When you join the AAUW Redding Branch, Inc., you join over 13,000 members in California with a long-standing commitment to equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and philanthropy. Since 1942, our branch has served members from throughout Northern California. Membership is open to those with an associate or equivalent, baccalaureate, or higher degree from a qualified educational institution.

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Branch membership offers friendship with like-minded people and an arena for making a positive contribution to your community.

Membership

Membership is open to anyone holding an associate or equivalent (RN), baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Students who are currently enrolled in college may apply for a Student Affiliate membership.

Branch membership offers friendship with like-minded people and an arena for making a positive contribution to your community. Benefits include a subscription to California PERSPECTIVE, our state print publication.

Local dues include state and national membership. Sharing and supporting the values and positions of AAUW is very important. In addition to the Association benefits offered all AAUW members, branch members enjoy opportunities to network at the local level, sponsor community action projects to promote equity, and serve in branch leadership positions.

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AAUW’s policy work connects and rallies advocates at the local, state, national, and global levels to advance our work to empower women and girls. With the member-endorsed Public Policy Priorities as our guide, AAUW uses lobbying and grassroots efforts to push forward policies that break through educational and economic barriers for women.

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Members may pay dues online at the national website by following the link below.