When a 14 year old Black student was choke-slammed by a school resource officer, Black parents in our community had experienced enough. We began to organize and attend board meetings demanding accountability for the actions of the district. Parents again organized around the repeated use of the n-word on campuses, followed by a letter to the board of trustees to address the poor outcomes for Black students in Round Rock ISD.

We have since grown into a strong, grass-roots organization that has partnered with other community activists, organizers, non-profits, and business to advocate for equity within the greater Austin area. We aim to educate each other and our community on racial and educational equity through our partnerships, as well as unify and empower parents to be leaders within their schools. We believe that parent involvement goes beyond the walls of a classroom and invite educators to share in our vision of reimagining the role of parents.

The group Defense of Democracy came into being in mid-May of 2022 in response to the very real threat posed by Moms for Liberty endorsed candidates as they vowed that "If we can’t infuse our Christian values into this (curriculum) then we’ll keep it that benign state," and further stated “I can’t say honestly that I really want to be a school board member, but...I do feel compelled, and I do feel like it’s a call from God."  There are Defense of Democracy members of all political leanings who do not believe that a "call from God" is a serious reason to run for school board, or that schools should be limited to only teaching "math, science, history...the end," or that a "Christian worldview" is an appropriate goal to steer our public schools toward. 

Working across party lines does not mean seeking compromise for compromises' sake; individuals do not have to abandon their core beliefs or political principals to understand that being American is not defined by religion or sexual identity. Agreement on this one point does not indicate agreement on every other topic.