Dear Friends of FAIR,
Since FAIR’s founding, we’ve advocated for pro-human values, civil liberties, and viewpoint diversity in courtrooms, in classrooms, and in workplaces. But these values don’t take root through advocacy alone. They take root when people gather in town halls, school board meetings, and local libraries to have honest conversations about the kind of institutions they want.
April is National Volunteer Month, a reminder that the values we advocate live in the communities you’re building every day. FAIR has a strong and growing Chapter network, and Volunteer Month inspires us to invest in making it even more robust by supporting the leaders who carry our mission into their communities. Every dollar donated to FAIR Chapters this month goes directly toward equipping them to do the work that can only be done at the local level:
Bring expert voices to communities. Fund travel and honorariums to bring speakers and thought leaders directly to local audiences.
Organize civil discourse events. Host town halls, coffee chats and other gatherings where community members can learn to respectfully disagree and find common ground.
Print and distribute curriculum materials. Give parents, educators, and school administrators a firsthand look at what a balanced, rigorous alternative to Liberated Ethnic Studies can look like.
None of this happens without your support. A direct gift this month can transform your local Chapter’s vision into reality.
If you want to see an example of FAIR Chapters in action, look no further than the Twin Cities. This month, supporters in Minnesota are hosting a series of community preview events for FAIR’s curriculum, Many Stories, One Nation, in partnership with the Minnesota Partnership for Achievement:
White Bear Lake — Monday, April 21, 6:30–8:00 PM
Anoka Hennepin — Monday, April 28, 7:00–8:30 PM
Elk River — Wednesday, April 30, 5:30–7:30 PM
If you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and are interested in attending any of these sessions, you can register here.
What’s happening in Minnesota is a model, and it’s one we can replicate nationwide. When chapters are resourced and energized, they become the infrastructure that keeps schools and other institutions balanced and creates communities where honest disagreement and shared humanity can coexist.
That’s what we’re building toward in 2026, and your support is what makes it possible.
If you’re ready to give, donate here. If you’re ready to organize, reach out to your local chapter leader or contact us directly. Whatever your capacity, there’s a place for you in this work.
This April, we hope you’ll move beyond conversation and into your community. The future we’re working toward isn’t built in a single courtroom or a single classroom. It’s built by people like you, showing up where it matters most.
With gratitude,
The FAIR Team
The Lost Art of Listening: Building Empathy Across Differences
Join FAIR Advisors John Wood, Jr. and Ilana Redstone for this upcoming webinar, moderated by FAIR Executive Director Monica Harris. We will discuss the need to develop emotional intelligence and perspective-enhancing skills and how deep listening strengthens democratic participation and community bonds. This theme also supports FAIR's commitment to respectful civil discourse, which is a foundational element of our Many Stories, One Nation curriculum.
The Body-Mind Connection: Rethinking How Medicine Approaches Adolescent Development
Mood swings, difficulty focusing, disrupted sleep, irregular periods are all hallmarks of adolescence and not necessarily signs of disorder. Yet antidepressant prescriptions for teens have risen 66% in six years, ADHD diagnoses now affect more than 6 million children, and hormonal contraception is routinely prescribed to teenage girls for symptoms that may reflect normal development. Join FAIR and Dr. Kendra Kautz, DC for a candid conversation about what parents are often not told before a prescription is written and what questions they have every right to ask. Drawing on real cases and peer-reviewed research, this webinar will explore the physiological context behind adolescent symptoms and ask what informed consent should really mean before a family agrees to a prescription that could change a developing brain.
Read Dr. Kendra Kautz on our Substack this week:
The Medicalization of Adolescence
Adolescence has always been one of the most biologically intense periods of human development. The brain is rapidly reorganizing, hormone systems are activating, and emotional processing pathways are maturing. Mood swings, heightened stress sensitivity, and difficulty regulating internal states are not signs of disorder; rather, they are features of a …
FAIR Educators Alliance 2025-2026
Join the FAIR Educators Alliance for the 2025–2026 school year to equip PK–12 educators with the knowledge, strategies, and community support they need to foster schools that are more enriching and free from bias for students and educators.
Each monthly gathering will open with updates and presentations from FAIR staff, fellows, Chapter Leaders, and occasional guest speakers. Together, we’ll explore strategies to support educators, communities, and local chapters—and to advance positive change at the local, regional, and national levels.
Following the presentations, participants will have space for open-forum discussions to connect, seek advice, and coordinate on pressing issues in their schools. Breakout rooms will be divided into PK-6 and 7-12 grade levels with experienced teachers facilitating those conversations.
Meetings: First Thursday of each month at 7 PM ET via Zoom Duration: 1 hour
Note to readers: We have paused the FAIR News podcast. If you prefer listening, rather than reading these newsletters, an audio version is available directly on the Substack app. Thank you for tuning in!