The room was full and the atmosphere was attentive but calm. On a counter near the entrance, brightly-colored books were displayed for the public to contemplate. These were books that had been condemned and banned for corrupting children at school. At the end of September, the organization Moms for Liberty (M4L) was not on conquered ground in Silver Spring, Maryland, a rather moderate American state. Nevertheless, many parents, members of the group and the simply curious came to hear the speakers talk about their rights, indoctrination, sex and textbooks.

On stage, a Canadian activist talked about puberty blockers; an Orthodox Jewish journalist, author of a book entitled Stolen Youth, talked about her investigations and distressed parents shared their stories. While a camera broadcasted the event to remote members, around 150 people gathered under the satisfied gaze of one of the movement's founders, 44-year-old Tiffany Justice. In the space of three years, this mother of four has become an influential voice among conservatives and a key player in the cultural war raging around schools.

Moms for Liberty claims to have around 120,000 members nationwide. That's not much compared with the two teachers' unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which boast nearly five million members. But the M4Ls represent a burning comet in the constellation of the American right, measured by its intense media luminosity. With nearly $2.1 million (€1.9 million) in revenue recorded in 2022, this organization is so hotly courted that five Republican primary candidates addressed education at its annual conference in July. Among them were Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

The Moms for Liberty organization has no intention of taking sides in the forthcoming presidential campaign and proclaims itself to be non-partisan. It dreams of itself as a recruitment and training center, among a not necessarily politicized public. "I think it's 12% of our parents weren't registered to vote and 23% had never voted in a primary before," said Justice. Their goal is the development of an M4L generation, whose members then apply for state-level boards of education before, eventually, taking the plunge and considering a political career. That is still a long way away.

In a study published in October by the Brookings Institution, devoted to the Moms for Liberty movement, it appeared that it had the largest number of members not in conservative Southern states (Florida aside), but in New York and Pennsylvania. The study questioned the organization's actual electoral impact: "At this point, we really don’t know what an M4L endorsement is worth." But noted, "even if they are not successful at changing electoral outcomes, they may be effective at placing conservative policies on the agenda through their activity at school board meetings."

You have 65% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.