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Membership Emails
Below is a sample of the emails you can expect to receive when signed up to Facing History.
When you visit Facinghistory.org, log in with this email address and the password you chose to get access to downloads, workshops, easy event registration and more. You should also soon receive an email to set your email preferences. If you have any questions or don’t receive this email, contact us.
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Visit Educator Resources to check out teaching strategies, lessons, streaming video, and much more.
Explore our Current Events teaching ideas to bring breaking news and ongoing issues--from global migration to the health of democracy--into your classroom.
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Facing History and Ourselves 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445 Update your email preferences
Thank you for your interest in using Facing History's current event teaching ideas in your classroom.
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Dear Luke,
Thank you for your interest in Facing History’s current events resources. To support busy educators, we've created easy-to-implement teaching ideas that can be used within your class period and curriculum. Each teaching idea also includes ways for your students to explore topics in greater depth in class or for homework.
Take a look through our current events teaching ideas and get started today! You’ll find helpful resources for teaching a range of topics, such as global migration, voting rights, and #TakeAKnee.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Thank you for your interest in using Facing History's current event teaching ideas in your classroom.
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Dear Luke,
We hope you’ve had an opportunity to look through our current events teaching ideas. We know that approaching these topics with your students can be daunting, which is why we've created a checklist to help you plan ahead. In this checklistyou'll find recommended news sources, teaching strategies for difficult topics, and media literacy tools to help plan your next lesson.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
The Kurds are frequently mentioned in news stories centered on the Middle East, but few outside that region understand who they are.
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Who are the Kurds?
Dear Luke,
The Kurds are frequently mentioned in news stories centered on the Middle East, but few outside that region understand who they are and why their history is so complicated.
Recent events involving the Kurds raise questions such as: Why are they divided among so many countries in the Middle East? And what is the international community’s responsibility toward them? This Teaching Idea helps students explore these questions in order to better understand current developments in the Middle East.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
This Teaching Idea trains students to read online sources laterally so they can better evaluate the credibility of news they see online.
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How to Read the News Like a
Fact Checker
Dear Luke,
In recent years, dangerous misinformation has spread online, such as fake news about political candidates, designed to sway voters and influence elections, and anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, which impact children’s health. Students need techniques for evaluating the news stories and ads they come across, especially as the United States nears the 2020 presidential elections. Learning to read laterally is a key media literacy strategy that can help students determine the quality of online sources.
This Teaching Idea trains students to read online sources laterally, like professional fact checkers do, so that they can better evaluate the credibility of news they see online.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
The holiday season is upon us, but I know that for so many of us it may be difficult to feel celebratory.
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Dear Luke,
The holiday season is upon us, but I know that for so many of us it may be difficult to feel celebratory. But despite bitter racial and ethnic bias, religious intolerance, xenophobia and homophobia that have fractured our communities, here’s a reason for hope:
100,000 Facing History teachers and their students are standing up to bigotry and hate.
As you know so well, education is one of the strongest forces we have to shape the future we all want. Using lessons of history, we are teaching the next generation that their choices will create better societies; their empathy for others and their ability to recognize injustice—and stand up to it—will have lasting effects well beyond the classroom.
When you support Facing History, you’re part of something greater than yourself: a movement committed to justice and equity. Young people are on the frontlines of our future. They count on their Facing History teachers to help them build a future they actually want to live in, one guided by knowledge and compassion. Can they count on you, too?
We all have to put in the work today to see that future become a reality.I’m confident that together we can face history, face ourselves, and stand up for a better world.
Roger Brooks
President and Chief Executive Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
My name is Durias Dyer, I’m a high school senior and Facing History student in Memphis--but there’s so much more to me than that.
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Dear Luke,
My name is Durias Dyer, I’m a high school senior and Facing History student in Memphis—but there’s so much more to me than that.
Because I’m a young African American man, there’s a narrative that follows me, and others who look like me—six foot tall with a big frame—even if that’s not our story. Despite all of the different things that make me me—that I love playing football, hanging out with my two year old niece, collecting vintage baseball cards—when some people look at me, they only see something I’m not: a stereotype.
I’m lucky, because Facing History helps me and my peers look at complex issues of history and identity. It challenges us to listen to each other, learn where people are coming from, confront our own biases, and to stand up when we witness injustice.
Help Students Stand Up
I had the chance to stand up in my own life recently: on an airplane. Seated near me was a man and a younger woman. I could tell that the man was making the woman uncomfortable; he was taking up her personal space and being rude to her. I was going through my bag, when I found my Facing History folder on bullying. I wondered, should I speak up?
When the man started shouting at the young woman, and I knew I had to speak up. I remembered there was a lesson that taught us how to de-escalate a heated conversation. So I got to it.
I listened to the man, while adding he should be respectful of other passengers...and we ended up having a long conversation! It could have gone a different way. But because of Facing History, I was able to flip the script and change the outcome—for all of us.
Through your support, Facing History is empowering my generation to listen to each other, look beyond stereotypes, and stand up to injustice. Will you stand with us?
Sincerely,
Durias Dyer
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
I write to you today as a former teacher, a mother, and as a concerned community member.
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Dear Luke,
My name is Julie Leff, and while I have the honor of serving as the Chair to Facing History’s Board of Directors, I write to you today as a former teacher, a mother, and as a concerned community member.
It doesn’t take long scrolling through your social media or news feed to feel the anxiety of the times in which we live. In fact, a recent Georgetown poll shows that a majority of Americans believe political, racial, and class divisions are getting worse. Maybe you feel that way, too. But, here’s the good news:
Over 100,000 Facing History teachers and their students are standing up to bigotry and hate, and building a better world.
Show them you care
When I was a Facing History teacher, I saw our lessons in action: my students standing up to a bully in the hallway, or speaking up to address a racist comment from a classmate. And in the years since, I’ve heard countless stories of Facing History students using lessons of history to think critically about complex current events, such as mass shootings, the #MeToo movement, and taking a knee during the National Anthem. I am comforted knowing these students recognize the importance of their choices, and know they have a crucial role in their communities. These examples, and many more, are why I support Facing History.
I know firsthand that once you have that Facing History foundation, you teach differently. At Facing History, we have proven that we build better communities by helping young people understand that their choices, in fact, make history.
Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. While we would love your support tomorrow, I ask that you consider making your gift today. Let’s stand up together, and ensure our children are able to build a brighter future.
Thank you,
Julie Leff
Chair of the Board of Directors
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
Today is Giving Tuesday, and as a teacher, I ask that you consider giving to Facing History and Ourselves today.
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Dear Luke,
Today is Giving Tuesday, and as a teacher, I ask that you consider giving to Facing History and Ourselves today. Here’s why:
I teach at Catholic Memorial School in Boston, and in my school, and schools nationwide, teachers need help addressing the charged topics dividing our communities. The constant vitriol and polarization in our public sphere takes a toll on all of us, and especially on our students. For so many of us, we have forgotten how to talk to each other—we’ve forgotten how to listen.
That’s why we all need Facing History.
Image courtesy of Catholic Memorial School
As educators, I believe we have a responsibility not only to our students today, but also to the adults that they will grow into. With Facing History’s guidance, our students are developing an increased sense of empathy and concern for each other—values they’ll take with them into adulthood. I feel confident encouraging the “soft skills” of not only speaking and collaborating, but also the very important skill of listening. As a result, our students develop skills essential for civil conversation and the strengthening of our communities. Profound in its simplicity and effectiveness, Facing History’s approach can be incorporated into the classroom of any teacher willing to challenge the divisiveness permeating our present moment.
Since working with Facing History, our entire school community has been enriched. Not only are our students supporting each other in new ways, but our faculty has learned to collaborate more easily, and now know each other on deeper levels. In these divisive times, I know I can count on Facing History to bring my classroom, colleagues, and community together.
When you support Facing History, you support teachers in your community and around the world—and help bring us all a little closer together.
Thank you,
Vincent Bradley
Chair, History and Social Studies
Catholic Memorial School
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
In this Teaching Idea, students use the UDHR as a framework for understanding both the progress that has been made since 1948.
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Human Rights in the News
Dear Luke,
Tuesday December 10 is Human Rights Day, commemorating the day in 1948 that the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a historic commitment to universal rights. In honor of this year's theme, "Youth Standing Up for Human Rights," we've updated our Teaching Idea Human Rights in the News.
In this Teaching Idea, students use the UDHR as a framework for understanding both the progress that has been made since 1948 and the areas where we continue to fall short in protecting and promoting human rights. This analysis can inspire and motivate students to dedicate themselves to the cause of human rights worldwide by promoting them in the “small places close to home,” which is where, according to Eleanor Roosevelt, they begin.
If you're interested in these themes, we also encourage you to register for our upcoming webinar with Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power on December 9. On the eve of Human Rights Day, Ambassador Power will discuss not only her new memoir but also how to educate young people to be upstanders for a more humane and just world.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
It’s Giving Tuesday, and I spent the morning stuck in an airport! The rush of my daily life was forced to a halt—literally frozen.
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Dear Luke,
It’s Giving Tuesday, and I spent the morning stuck in an airport! The rush of my daily life was forced to a halt—literally frozen. As I watched the snow fall onto the tarmac, I found myself with an opportunity to reflect, to think of the year I’ve had as a parent, a spouse, a professional; to think of the moments, big and small, that really mattered.
One of those moments was just a few months ago, sharing our refreshed mission statement:
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate.
As I finally taxied from the gate to the runway, I thought of my own family—my three young adult sons—and was grateful for Facing History’s renewed level of focus. We are helping kids, kids like mine, learn how to make their future more inclusive and just for everyone.
I’m sure you’ve heard from many deserving organizations today, but here’s why you should make a donation to Facing History and Ourselves right now: we’re giving the next generation the skills they need to stand up to bigotry and hate.
Whether you’ve been stuck in a snowstorm like me, are just getting home from work, or are winding down for the night, please take just 3 minutes right now to support Facing History’s mission. Whether you’ve already made a contribution today, or you’re just getting to it now, giving $10 dollars or $10more makes a huge impact. I’m proud to support Facing History. Will you join me?
Thank you for pitching in to supporting all our kids,
Lara James
Chief Marketing Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
Long before I began working here, my son Coleman was so lucky to have Facing History for an entire year in eighth grade.
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Dear Luke,
I serve as Facing History’s Chief Operating Officer, but I am writing to you today as a mother.
Long before I began working here, my son Coleman was so lucky to have Facing History for an entire year in eighth grade, as well as five full weeks of our seminal course, Holocaust and Human Behavior, as a freshman in high school. The Facing History program challenged my son to better understand his own identities, while developing an appreciation for the identities and perspectives of others.
I believe you care about our students. Will you make a gift today to help more young people understand themselves--and others?
Coleman gained a new language from his Facing History experience, which he brought home to the dinner table. As a family, we were able to talk about complex issues, about ‘upstanders and bystanders,’ and articulate the gravity of his family’s experiences during the Holocaust. He began to draw connections between the histories he was learning about, which in turn helped him develop a new awareness of the connections between each of us, as people. His growing curiosity, intellect, and compassion challenged our entire family to grow alongside of him. I couldn’t have been more proud as a parent. Facing History helped Coleman determine who he wanted to be, and, in a not insignificant way, how we as a family could support that.
Coleman is in college now, and, as a young gay man, he’s on his own exploring more of this world and the person he is intent on becoming. Unfortunately, sometimes that exploration involves interactions with people who have formed assumptions of him - assumptions rooted in bigotry and hate. He’s told me too many stories of times he’s been followed, or had slurs screamed at him as he walks down the street. Each time I’m left feeling angry, scared, and begging for a different world.
This is why I commit myself to Facing History’s work every day: hope for a better world - one guided by knowledge and compassion, not bigotry and hate. That’s the world we’re building at Facing History, and we need your help.
Thank you,
Anne-Marie Fitzgerald
Chief Operating Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres called "on everyone to support and protect young people who are standing up for human rights."
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Dear Luke,
Today is Universal Human Rights day.
This morning the UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres called "on everyone to support and protect young people who are standing up for human rights." This comes at a time when the rights of so many around the world are under threat. Will you answer the call?
For more than 40 years, Facing History has partnered with teachers, schools, and communities to support young people in developing their moral and civic voices, in speaking out against hatred and injustice, and in standing up for justice and equality.
And we know it works:
70% of Facing History students feel it is their responsibility to take action in their communities.
82% of Facing History students have stood up to someone who has made a racist comment.
92% of Facing History teachers agree that our resources help their students stand up for what they believe in even when others disagree.
Our approach works in contexts and countries worldwide: from Facing History classrooms across the US, the UK, and Canada, to those of our partners in France, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Mexico, and Colombia. Our work is having an impact around the globe.
With your support, we’re enabling the next generation of young people to stand up for more democratic, equitable, and just societies. On this Universal Human Rights Day, we hope you'll stand up with them. Support Facing History.
Together, we are building a world based on knowledge, compassion, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all people.
Thank you,
Karen Murphy
Director, International Strategy
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
I teach a course on Genocide. As I’m sure you can imagine, the material can be difficult, for me and my students.
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Dear Luke,
If you asked me to describe Facing History and Ourselves in one word—I couldn’t. It’s Emotional. Rigorous. Reflective. Transformative. As an educator, I could go on and on, but the important thing is that Facing History challenges me to be a better teacher.
I teach a course on Genocide. As I’m sure you can imagine, the material can be difficult, for me and my students. But I teach the course because it’s crucial for students to understand that genocides aren’t confined to the past. This very week, with Aung San Suu Kyi on trial at The Hague, I’ve had several conversations with students about Suu Kyi’s role in the genocide of the Rohingya people, as well as the role of the Gambia in demanding justice for this ethnic minority. I wish we lived in a world that didn’t necessitate such conversations, but when it does, I know I can count on Facing History for support.
Prior to using Facing History’s approach and resources, I expected my students to ask big questions and offer analysis on the heavy content we were discussing in class. Analysis I got, but it was so clinical—I could see that many of my students struggled to connect what we were learning in class to their own lives. The semester I integrated Facing History, I saw a huge change in my students’ engagement and understanding. Facing History equipped me to address the emotional, personal, utterly human components of genocide, so my students could connect to it on that personal level. They finally understood what was at stake.
Part of the power of Facing History’s model is that it teaches young people that they must “choose to participate” in their community; that they have agency. I used to think I didn’t have time for this type of work in the classroom, but I have come to see that this is actually the whole point.
Facing History shows young people that they can stand up to hatred—in their own communities and on a global scale. Over the past few years, I have seen countless examples of Facing History’s effect on my students, including the group that took a stand and set up a fundraising campaign for Rohingya refugees. Because of Facing History, my students are able to translate what they’re learning in class into actionable solutions for a more just world.
Will you stand up for a more just world? Give today, and you’ll do just that. With your gift, Facing History can reach more teachers like me—imagine the world our students could create.
Thank you for your support!
Lindsay Hutchison,
Tamanawis Secondary
Surrey, B.C. Canada
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Just last week, we witnessed yet another deadly act of hate in Jersey City.
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Dear Luke,
My name is Pam Haas, and I am the Executive Director of Facing History’s New York office, one of our 9 locations. I know many of you are packing your bags this week, preparing to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. But, as much as we would all like to focus on hope for the New Year, we cannot turn a blind eye to the reality of hatred in our world. Just last week, we witnessed yet another deadly act of antisemitism: in Jersey City.
Will you support Facing History, and help us stand up to bigotry and hate?
Inevitably, such acts, and the fear and confusion left in their wake, end up in our classrooms. Andteachers are on the frontlines. What are they supposed to do?
Teachers look to Facing History and Ourselves.
In the moments of pain and fear after a crisis, moments becoming all too frequent, we help teachers offer context, comfort, and solutions to the generation growing up in this world right now. Just two weeks ago, we partnered with the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in New York to help 50 local teachers address racism, antisemitism, and white nationalism with the thousands of students that they reach. Westchester District Attorney, Anthony Scarpino, who attended the event, underscored the importance of Facing History, saying "by educating students to what bigotry yields, a frightening world where justice has no meaning, we are serving the greater good."
We can’t hide from hate - whether in Jersey City, Pittsburgh, El Paso or Charleston. And neither can our children. We need to help young people recognize hate, its origins and consequences, and empower them to stand up to it. At Facing History, we are doing this. In fact, 81% of Facing History students report they feel more capable of recognizing racism, antisemitism, and prejudice. But we need the support of people like you to reach the teachers and students who need us most.
Together, we can build a world guided by knowledge and compassion, instead of ignorance and fear.
Thank you,
Pam Haas
Executive Director, Facing History New York
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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As we (finally) reach the end of a year that has been full of groundbreaking news, we want to thank you for using our resources...
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As we (finally) reach the end of a year that has been full of groundbreaking news, we want to thank you for using our resources, share some of our highlights from the past year, and pass along a few inspiring pieces to read (or listen to) over the break.
In 2019, our current events teams created resources on political polarization, white nationalism, youth activism against climate change, human rights abuses against Uighurs in China, the debate over reparations for racial injustice, migrant detention on the US southern border, and so much more. While many of us hope that the new year will bring new beginnings, for better or for worse, many of these news stories will follow us into 2020.
We hope that your winter break brings you a chance to relax and take a step back from the daily deadlines of teaching. If you end up having a little spare time over your break, we thought that you might enjoy some of the books, articles, and podcasts that have inspired us and shaped our thinking here at Facing History and Ourselves:
Superior: The Return of Race Science [book]: Angela Saini’s book exposes the persistence of false beliefs around racial differences, revealing how racism and eugenics have fueled the rise of white nationalism.
What Are the Solutions to Political Polarization? [article]: Animosity between the two main political parties in the United States is on the rise, and this article offers suggestions for individual actions and policies that could reduce political polarization. It helped to inform our Polarization Explainer.
1619 Project [magazine]: This edition of New York Times Magazine includes a series of articles on the legacies of slavery in the United States, which informed our thinking on racial injustice and our Teaching Idea The Debate Over Reparations For Racial Injustice.
Scorched Earth [podcast]: This episode from Throughline tells the story of Emily Hobhouse, an amazing upstander who fought against the concentration camps established by the British in South Africa during the Boer War.
Hopeful Images From 2019 [photo series]: If you need a break from heavy news, these photos from The Atlantic give a glimpse into some of the happier moments of 2019, including an Eid al-Adha celebration in a Rohingya refugee camp.
In the 21st Century, We Are All Migrants [article]: Mohsin Hamid’s beautifully written National Geographic article invites us to all consider our connections to migration and offered inspiration for our global migration resources, including the Teaching Idea Why Do People Migrate?
If you have used any of our materials this year, please reach out to us at info@facinghistory.org to share a highlight, a story, or a challenge from the classroom.
We’ll be back in 2020 with new Teaching Ideas and Explainers. Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Facing History and Ourselves Current Events Team
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
We’re just two days away from the end of the year.
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Hi Luke,
My name is Matthew Vincent, and I serve as the Associate Director of Donor Communications here at Facing History and Ourselves. I’ve been with the organization for 2 years, and am proud to be amongst an international network of staff, teachers, students, and supporters who are all committed to confronting the rise of hate-fueled violence and division, and who are standing up to bigotry and hate.
Even as I write to you this morning, multiple acts of violence occurring over the weekend are under investigation, including an attack against the Jewish community in the home of a Hasidic rabbi in a NY suburb, which left five people injured. As my colleague, Liz shared the other day: “As much as we’d like to, we can’t shield our children from hate.” She’s right. And she was also right when she wrote that“when students understand history, they are better equipped to stand up to bigotry and hate when they encounter it in their own lives.”
Over the past month, we’ve shared stories of Facing History teachers and students who truly embody our mission. It’s important to us to bring these stories to life - to share with you the work happening on the frontlines - in our classrooms and schools.Another reason is to offer supporters like you an opportunity to help us expand our reach and our impact.We need to ensure more teachers and their students have the tools, training, and resources to stand up to bigotry and hate.
We’re just two days away from the end of the year. In 2020, we hope to reach 50,000 new teachers, who will join over 100,000 already in our network, as well as millions of students. To contribute toward achieving that goal, we need to raise at least $100,000 through this end of year appeal. And we’re so close.To raise the remaining $15,000 - or 25 full scholarships to a 5-day Facing History seminar - we need just 300 gifts of $50.
Please join me and thousands of others who are supporting Facing History teachers and students as they build a safer, more compassionate and inclusive world.
Thank you,
Matthew Vincent
Associate Director for Donor Communications
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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I’m happy to report that I made it through the storm, and am now enjoying time with my family.
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Hi Luke,
Last time you heard from me, I was stranded at the airport in a snowstorm. I wrote about our mission statement and how proud I am of the work my colleagues are doing with teachers. I’m happy to report that I made it through the storm, and am now enjoying time with my family. My sons are home and filling up our house with talk of soccer and senior year, as my husband fills our kitchen with the smells of homemade rolls and sweet potato pie.
As you continue enjoying Hanukkah latkes with your own family, baking Christmas cookies, or however you are spending this Winter Break, I ask:will you support Facing History and Ourselves?
Today is my son’s 18th birthday. His teacher last year used Facing History resources to connect the legacy of slavery in the U.S. to issues of mass incarceration today. For my son, it was profound, and I know he is now entering adulthood a more thoughtful, empowered person because of it. As he prepares to graduate, will you join me in ensuring that the next cohort of high school students has this transformative experience?
You can make a difference right now. A little truly goes a long way! If everyone receiving this email donates just $10, you will provide nearly 100teachers with full scholarships to attend their first 5-day Facing History seminar. In turn, those teachers will transform their classrooms using curated resources and proven strategies to challenge over a hundred thousand students to stand up to bigotry and hate. See what I mean? Pitching in any amount makes a difference!
Thank you for supporting Facing History and Ourselves. Happy holidays!
Lara James Chief Marketing Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Together, the more teachers we reach, the more students will stand up to bigotry and hate.
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Hello Luke,
My name is Marc, and forty years ago I attended a Facing History and Ourselves seminar that changed the course of my life. I’m writing to you today to ask that you help make Facing History’s life-changing resources accessible to hundreds of thousands of teachers around the globe.
Today, I serve as Facing History’s Chief Program Officer, but it was the seminar I took in 1979—like the seminars we continue to provide to thousands of teachers every year—that changed everything for me. I saw teaching in a new light; I saw how students make meaning of history. I left challenged, inspired, and committed to bringing Facing History to my own classroom.
My experience wasn’t unique. Countless teachers have shared this same experience I had all those years ago. In fact, you’ve heard from some of them already. And after four decades, I’ve witnessed Facing History's power in schools and communities around the globe, from South Boston to South Africa, and can say with certainty: Facing History works.
I don’t need to tell you that we live in uncertain times. That democracy is fragile. However, I do need to tell you that teachers who receive Facing History’s training, resources, and support, are standing up. But they can’t do it without your support.
Facing History teachers are helping their students develop the critical skills needed to defend democracy using knowledge and compassion. They are using lessons of history to show them it’s possible, and imperative, to stand up to bigotry and hate. The more teachers we reach, the more students will stand up. Will you help us reach those teachers today?
Whether you’re brand new to Facing History, or have stood with us for as long as I have, please stand with us now.
"If not now, when?"
Thank you, Marc Skvirsky
Chief Program Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Luke, take just a couple of minutes and your gift will be matched.
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Dear Luke,
You’re probably getting ready to head out to celebrate with friends and family, but before you raise your glass to ring in the New Year, please take just a couple of minutes and make your donation to Facing History and Ourselves.
Remember - if you donate to Facing History and Ourselves before the countdown to midnight, your gift will be matched!
Right now,you can personally impact the new year for hundreds of thousands of students. Please join our movement to fill our world with kindness, equity, and democracy. I’ll toast to that.
Help Facing History use lessons of history to challenge more teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate, in 2020 and in years to come. Whether you can give $10 or $100, your impact will be doubled--and so will ours.
Thank you & cheers!
Roger Brooks
President and Chief Executive Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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We have just a few hours left before this match expires.
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Luke-
It’s the last day of the year — and it’s my job to be straight with you.
A generous Facing History donor has agreed to match every donation we get in until the end of the day. We have just a few hours left before this match expires.
Donate now to Facing History before midnight, and your impact will be doubled.
With your help, we can empower more teachers with the tools they need to have hard conversations in the classroom about hatred, antisemitism, and bigotry.
With your help, we can give more students the chance to explore their own identities and those of their peers, while diving deeply into how ordinary human choices shaped history.
With your help, we can push back against the rising tide of hate through the most powerful tool we know: education.
You can make a difference for Facing History students and teachers everywhere by donating any amount before midnight, but only if you act quickly.
Don’t let this match expire — give now and your gift will be matched.
Thank you, and happy new year!
Anne-Marie Fitzgerald
Chief Operating Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Here's why I have given two decades of my own time and support to Facing History.
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Dear Luke,
My name is Dimitry, and I’m the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning & Support at Facing History and Ourselves. I’ve been with Facing History for 20 years, and it seems to me that right now, teachers and students need our support more than ever.
Why have I given two decades of my own time and support to this organization? Like many of you, I see four troubling trends in our communities:
I see all of us living in an increasingly polarized society.
I see growing national populism threatening liberal democracies around the world.
I see the rise of identity-based hatred, which fuels mass shootings, police brutality and the persistence of racial violence and discrimination.
I see a sheer lack of imagination from so many adults on how to remedy the hate in our world. And that’s why young people are so important!
Facing History has proven that we can remedy these dangers because students in Facing History classrooms explore identity and perspective, both their own and their classmates’. Our students are more likely than their peers to show respect for one another, including those who are different from them:72% have an increased capacity to understand and feel for people different from themselves. And when they see an injustice, they take action: 82% have stood up to someone who said something offensive, such as a racist comment.
We have proven we can work with teachers to unlock the potential of young people’s imaginations, so they have the understanding and will to stand up for justice, equality, and democracy. And while we now reach more than 100,000 educators and millions of students, our goal is to double our impact by 2022. Facing History has the power to help even more teachers and students stand up to bigotry and hate - but first, we need to reach them. We need your support.
Let’s start the new year with a contribution toward real change. Together, we can bridge divides in our communities, strengthen our democracies, confront discrimination, and stand up to bigotry and hate. Make your contribution today.
Thank you for supporting Facing History and Ourselves!
Dimitry Anselme
Executive Program Director, Professional Learning & Support
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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A message from Roger Brooks
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Dear Luke,
I’m closing this year on a solemn yet determined note.
A fabric of hate has spread too rapidly across our globe: racism, homophobia, Islamophobia and other expressions of bigotry and hate persist and demean our communities.
Most recently, we’ve seen an alarming uptick in incidents of antisemitism: deadly violence last week in New Jersey; and in Los Angeles, a Torah scroll was desecrated in a synagogue within the past ten days, and, even this week, swastikas and vile antisemitic grafitti were scrawled on three Jewish schools. I find this especially painful: our schools should nurture children, not be spaces where students and educators are targets of hate.
Sadly, rising antisemitism joins daily acts of prejudice and bigotry, from racist hatred to gender discrimination. Each dehumanizing occurrence of emotional or physical violence delivers a specific impact on a particular community, but all of us should feel the hurt. Together, we must all stand up against the forces that seek to divide us.
That is the core of Facing History. We are a learning community of more than 100,000 educators, millions of students, and community supporters all around the globe. We have been bound together in common purpose for over 40 years; we stand up to bigotry and hate, we give teachers and students the tools they need to stand up.
Facing History classrooms explore key moments in history and trace the legacy of brutal injustices. Our students are learning history, but more importantly they are learning that their choices will create history. Their knowledge and compassion can bring about more just and equitable societies, free from bigotry and hate.
We are determined to stand up, and that gives me hope.
As you gather with family and friends to welcome the coming year, I hope you have time to reflect on the choices you can make which will build more safe, inclusive and thriving communities for everyone.
Roger Brooks, President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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I’ve been here for most of my career, working with, and in support of, educators throughout California for almost 20 years
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Dear Luke,
My name is Liz Vogel, and I’m the Executive Director of Facing History’s Los Angeles office. I like to say I grew up at Facing History; I’ve been here for most of my career, working with, and in support of, educators throughout California for almost 20 years
Right now, our community of educators and learners, people I know so well, is stressed. Over the course of the year we have been faced with numerous acts of hate in schools across greater LA. Our schools have had active shooters on campus; our schools have had their students regularly targeted by ICE; our schools have been defiled with hateful slurs and images--recently at an elementary school, where a swastika was found on the playground.
Join me in supporting educators.
As much as we’d like to, we can’t shield our children from hate. Rather, Facing History aims to address and eradicate hate at its roots. That’s where our educators come in. In classrooms in LA and around the world, Facing History teachers are helping students, all of our children, understand the historical roots of racism, antisemitism, and other prejudices. When students understand history, they are better equipped to stand up to bigotry and hate when they encounter it in their own lives. Through knowledge and compassion, our teachers and their students are building a more just future.
Please join us in standing up to bigotry and hate.
Thank you,
Liz Vogel
Executive Director, Facing History LA
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is also the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
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Dear Luke,
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is also the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Please read Facing History and Ourselves' President Roger Brooks' reflections on our blog Facing Today.
In the piece, Roger encourages readers to "mark the occasion by making an active commitment to disrupting bigotry and hate wherever they are found. Even when we as individuals feel powerless, we can join together in acts of collective democracy as upstanders."
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Controversial and troubling events — such as impeachment proceedings against US President Trump and mounting tension between the United States and Iran — continue to dominate headlines
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Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter?
Dear Luke,
Controversial and troubling events — such as impeachment proceedings against US President Trump and mounting tension between the United States and Iran — continue to dominate headlines as we start the new year. Students need strategies to identify reliable news sources. Though the term “fake news” is often used as a political weapon, the problem of stories that are reliant on sloppy journalism, intentionally misleading, or fabricated, is real. Even reliable news sources can have political perspectives that affect their coverage of the news.
This Teaching Idea is designed to help students take stock of their media choices, explore media bias, and think about what healthy news habits they want to adopt.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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Black History Month is more than a celebration of selected achievements by a talented few.
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Current Events and Black History Month
Dear Luke,
Black History Month is more than a celebration of selected achievements by a talented few. It is a time for students, educators, and historians to deeply examine pivotal moments of the African American experience. The historical impact of African Americans on the story of America is profound and ongoing, and through the study of this history, we become better equipped to wrestle with the challenges and opportunities around contemporary discussions of racism.
Use the following Teaching Ideas to help your students explore current events that relate to racial justice:
The Persistence of Racial Segregation in American Schools More than 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, school segregation remains a problem. Give students an overview of school segregation in the United States today and open a discussion about possible solutions.
The Debate Over Reparations for Racial Injustice
With reparations in the news, this Teaching Idea helps students define the term, learn what forms reparations can take, and consider what reparations should be offered for slavery and other racist policies.
Making Room at the Table
Teach students about Representative Shirley Chisholm's groundbreaking career and connect her story to today's 116th Congress--the most diverse federal legislative body in US history.
Responding to #LivingWhileBlack
Help students develop a framework for analyzing and discussing the incidents of racial bias they're seeing in the news. (Updated January 30, 2020)
Black Women's Activism and the Long History Behind #MeToo
Help students draw connections between the long history of black women's activism against sexual and gender-based violence and the current #MeToo movement. (Updated January 30, 2020)
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Symbols of hate are increasingly visible within schools across the United States.
Acts of Hate in Schools
Dear Luke,
Symbols of hate are increasingly visible within schools across the United States. Students of all ages, from elementary school through university, have been caught vandalizing their schools with symbols and speech that target racial and religious minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, and women.
The regular rhythm of these reports risks making them seem routine, even a “normal” part of school life. Instead, we should talk about these acts of racism and antisemitism with our students—and not only when there’s been an incident in our own school. In this Teaching Idea, students will learn about the trend of episodes of hate in schools, probe their causes and impact, and consider positive ways that communities can respond.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Thanks to our incredible donor community, we are entering 2020 with greater capacity to introduce thousands of teachers to Facing History and Ourselves.
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We did it, Luke!
Through the generosity of hundreds of donors across the country, we achieved our year-end fundraising campaign goal! Haven’t had a chance to make your contribution yet? You can still donate today and help us achieve even more in the year ahead.
Thanks to our incredible donor community, we are entering 2020 with greater capacity to introduce thousands of teachers to Facing History and Ourselves. Your support enables us to provide these teachers with the resources, training, and support to challenge their students to stand up to bigotry and hate.
If these first couple of weeks of 2020 are any indication of the year ahead, teachers and students will need Facing History more than ever this year. Your continued commitment ensures that we can create and deliver the resources teachers count on when so much else feels uncertain.
And remember, an easy way to continue supporting Facing History is to share this email, or any of our resources (such as Teaching Impeachment Amid Polarization or Who Are the Kurds?) with friends and colleagues. Let’s continue to grow our movement and make history, together.
Thank you!
Anne-Marie Fitzgerald
Chief Operating Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
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This Teaching Idea helps students understand how the Iowa caucuses work.
How the World Votes: The Iowa Caucuses and Voter Representation
Dear Luke,
The Iowa Caucuses are next Monday, February 3rd. The Iowa caucuses, the first primary of the 2020 United States Presidential election, require voters to come in person to debate the merits of each of their party’s candidates before voting. This Teaching Idea helps students understand how the Iowa caucuses work, prompts them to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of voting in person at a caucus, and invites them to explore the question of whether Iowa should be the first state to vote in the presidential primary season.
This Teaching Idea is part of a Facing History series, “How the World Votes.” Each installment will look at one aspect of how elections are organized in different countries around the world, with the goal of giving students fresh insight into how their own representatives are elected.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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This Teaching Idea helps students explore the history of voting rights in the United States.
Voting Rights in the United States
Dear Luke,
Since the US Supreme Court struck down a key section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in the case Shelby County v. Holder, many states have passed laws that create barriers to voting, for example by limiting the types of ID voters can use, disenfranchising felons, restricting early and absentee voting, or removing voters’ names from registration lists if they have not voted recently.
Many of these laws are being challenged in the courts, with critics arguing that they disproportionately affect voters who are racial minorities, poor, or young. Voting rights will likely continue to be in the news as the United States approaches the 2020 presidential election.
This Teaching Idea helps students explore the history of voting rights in the United States, the impact of the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, and questions around voting rights today.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history—and history in the making—Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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We offer a Teaching Idea that provides students with an opportunity to explore and deepen their understanding of the concept of democracy.
Assessing the Strength of Democracy
Dear Luke,
This week, countries around the globe marked the International Day of Democracy. Reflecting on the state of democracy worldwide, we see great tension and conflict. Elections in recent years-both inside and outside of the United States-have revealed and exacerbated deep divisions within many democratic societies, raising fundamental questions about the strength and fragility of democracy in our world today. The global COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional pressure on democracy. The pandemic has disrupted elections around the world, and many in the United States fear the impact that the coronavirus might have on the 2020 presidential election. At the same time, crises---such as the one we are in now---present us with an opportunity to create significant, positive change, which could lead to a strengthening of democracy over the next generation.
This week, we offer a Teaching Idea that provides students with an opportunity to explore and deepen their understanding of the concept of democracy, equips them with a framework to assess the health of a democracy, and engages them in consideration of their own role in upholding democracy in their communities today. Check out the work of our colleagues at the New York Times Learning Network and the Genocide Education Project for more #DemocracyDay connections.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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We are all bearing witness to the civil unrest unfolding around the world in the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd.
Dear Luke,
We are all bearing witness to the civil unrest unfolding around the world in the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd. Our new teaching idea, Reflecting on George Floyd's Death and Police Violence Towards Black Americans, supports teachers who must help their students understand how the events of the past have led to this moment, and guide students to see within themselves the power to make choices that will create a better future for us all.
In all of our teaching ideas, we ask educators to begin with themselves, reflecting on their own emotions and perspectives and to face their biases. We invite you to pause and reflect on these questions:
How is the news of the past week, including the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests, affecting you?
What can you offer to others to support them in how this story is impacting them?
If you're looking to deepen your understanding of how equity, justice and civic agency impact today's youth, please join tomorrow's timely conversation with writer and poet Dr. Clint Smith. Nearly 10,000 people have already registered - a new record. This event is free and open to the public, and unlike others we've offered, this live conversation will not be recorded. Please share this invitation with your friends and family.
Working for Justice, Equity and Civic Agency in Our Schools
A Conversation with Dr. Clint Smith
June 3, 2020 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 4pm PT
Register here
There is no doubt that the days and weeks ahead will continue to challenge us all. We hope you find comfort knowing that you're a valued member of the Facing History community, and that together we stand with teachers and their students to challenge bigotry and hate.
Sincerely,
Dimitry Anselme
Executive Program Director
Facing History and Ourselves
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Dear Friend of Facing History,
There is a rising threat of hate in this country that we cannot ignore - we must understand and confront it.
Facing History's programs teach educators how to face their own prejudices and lead students in difficult conversations about hate, racism, and antisemitism. Through our curriculum, students reflect on their own identity, develop empathy for others, and explore the complexities of history. This in turn helps them make connections to current events and reveals how they can make a difference in their own communities.
If you want to deepen your role in our community as we expand our work confronting bigotry, we encourage you to register on our website. You''ll be able to access more of our resources, register for our events and learn about ongoing opportunities to support our work inside and outside the classroom.
Facing History and Ourselves 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445 Update your email preferences
Give
Nearly 7,000 people from across the country and beyond joined us to hear from three incredible thought leaders.
Dear Luke,
We have an opportunity to "put our shoulder to the wheel of history and create a better society"
- Jelani Cobb
Facing History and Ourselves is a learning community of teachers, students and supporters around the world. We are committed to take that learning into action against bigotry and hate. We were thrilled with the extraordinary participation in our recent three-part Community Conversations series, a Celebration of Upstanders. Nearly 7,000 people from across the country and beyond joined us to hear from thought leaders such as actor and activist George Takei, New Yorker writer Dr. Jelani Cobb, and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power.
We remain moved by their wisdom, inspired by their resolve, and motivated by their call to action. If you haven't had the chance to watch any of the conversations, you can access them for free on our website. I also encourage you to share the recordings with your colleagues, and friends and family.
This remarkable series developed out of a need to reshape our spring Benefit Dinners. And while we're saddened by the circumstances requiring us to cancel our in-person activities, we're fortunate for the opportunity to come together, to learn together, to be in community-together.
This could not have been possible without our donors, and we are grateful for their support. A gift from you today will help ensure we can continue to provide opportunities like the Community Conversations series, and create new tools for remote classrooms. If you're able, please consider making a gift right now.
Stay healthy and spread calm.
Sincerely,
Roger Brooks
President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
We would like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support of Facing History''s work:
PLATINUM BENEFACTOR
SILVER BENEFACTORS
BRONZE BENEFACTORS
PATRON SPONSORS
CIBC | Colliers | FireEye | Goldman, Sachs & Co.
ITW | Joffrey Ballet | Loop Capital
Milken | O'Melveny | Seven Post Investment
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
We extend special thanks to the corporations that provide leadership support to our programs worldwide:
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Facing History and Ourselves invites you to join us for an exclusive advance screening of the award-winning film Boys State.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
7PM ET / 4PM PT
Facing History and Ourselves, in partnership with Apple Original Films and A24, invites you to join us for an exclusive advance screening of the award-winning film Boys State, followed by a talkback exploring youth civic and political engagement.
RSVP
ABOUT THE FILM
The sensational winner of the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at this year''s Sundance Film Festival, Boys State is a wildly entertaining and continually revealing immersion into a week-long annual program in which a thousand Texas high school seniors gather for an elaborate mock exercise: building their own state government.
ABOUT THE TALKBACK
Facing History and Ourselves works across the globe to foster youth civic engagement by developing students' critical thinking skills and empathy. Following the screening, we''ll sit down with the filmmakers, the film's young stars, and other special guests to discuss youth engagement, American politics, and the future of our democracy.
BOYS STATE, an Apple Original Films and A24 release, will debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, August 14. Rated PG-13 for some strong language and thematic elements.
Donate Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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We think it''s critical to provide educators with compelling classroom resources and new teaching methods that not only meet standards but also make a difference in the lives of their students.
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Dear Friend of Facing History,
At Facing History and Ourselves, we think it''s critical to provide educators with compelling classroom resources and new teaching methods that not only meet standards but also make a difference in the lives of their students.
Explore our new resources on teaching current events. We know that teaching current events can be challenging: the news cycle moves quickly, stories are complex, and the issues can spark strong emotions. But engaging students with current events is a crucial part of their development as informed and humane citizens in a democracy.
Facing History and Ourselves 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445 Update your email preferences
Give
I hope you'll join me in supporting Facing History during the global giving movement tomorrow!
Dear Luke,
My name is Eran DeSilva, and I'm a high school teacher in San Jose, CA. I teach because I want to help the world become a better place. For more than a decade, I have relied on Facing History and Ourselves to help instill the values that will encourage my students to become upstanders committed to social justice. I am grateful to Facing History for the community, tools and resources which guide and inspire me as I guide and inspire my students.
Today our global educational community is in crisis, and our local school districts are struggling to meet so many needs. Tomorrow is a new global day of giving - #GivingTuesdayNow. Your first gift to Facing History and Ourselves will provide the support teachers like me so urgently need.
Having to teach remotely has caused me to do a lot of soul searching -- to think about my role as a teacher during this time -- especially when I can't see my students in person on campus. I've seen this crisis not only through a teacher's eyes, but also a parent's, and it's daunting.
Right now, I believe I have a responsibility to do four things:
To create community even though I can't be with my students in person
To build a safe learning community where students can have conversations about issues that matter, and make sense of the world around them
To help students care about one another, be more compassionate, empathetic, and kind, and become the bridges that our world needs to create more understanding
To encourage students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers who are empowered rather than debilitated during this time
One day our world is going to get back to a place where we start to heal, to rebuild, and to rethink how we are going to work as a global community. Our students need to see this moment as a time for innovation and reimagining how to make our world more just and equitable. Facing History will help them do that.
I hope you'll join me in supporting Facing History during this global giving movement tomorrow! Or, if you would like to make your first gift today, you can do so here.
Thank you,
Eran DeSilva
Facing History Teacher San Jose, California
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Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Facing History teachers are approaching the challenges of this new school year with unwavering determination.
Dear Luke,
I hope this note finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe.
As I write to you today, teachers, students, and parents are in the midst of planning their approach for going back to school. Some, perhaps even you, have already started! Whether schools welcome back their teachers and students remotely, in-person, or a hybrid of the two, Facing History and Ourselves is here to support them.
At the start of the global pandemic that hit students, families and schools so hard, we bound together as a community of support and learning, for one another and for our teachers and students. Thank you for your generosity - investing in Facing History teachers who led their students and school communities last spring, and for helping us bring a record number of new teachers into our network, now nearly 300,000 educators strong.
Your support helped us provide COVID-19 resources, which were accessed nearly 75,000 times and our summer professional learning attracted a record setting 23,000 registrants.
History is with us whether we choose to examine it or not. As James Baldwin said, "History is not the past, it is the present." A perfect example is the growing movement across the United States led by students demanding curriculum reform. As Facing History's Karen Murphy said in the Washington Postyesterday, "young people have a real opportunity right now to engage the adults in their school community in a serious conversation." Young leaders, including Facing History students, are challenging their school leadership to teach the fullness of American history, which far too often elevates and centers white narratives of history, and intentionally underrepresents the Black experience.
Another example is the history of voting-a crucial right for maintaining just and democratic societies. At the moment, there is a broad conversation on the right to vote and barriers to voting; and, particularly, how this right can be defended or denied, too often along lines of race and socio-economic status. We can all learn so much from the historical battles and hard-won victories like the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Without these lessons of history, we may too easily find ourselves contributing to the continuation of systemic racism.
I enter the upcoming academic season inspired. Facing History teachers are approaching the challenges of this new school year with unwavering determination and commitment to their calling and to their students. And because of you, Facing History is here to support them with updated Back To School resources. We've already heard from dozens of teachers that these strategies for creating classroom communities that form brave spaces for challenging conversations are tremendously helpful.
Thank you for all that you do for teachers, for students, and for our communities.
Stay healthy and spread calm,
Roger Brooks President and Chief Executive Officer
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Because we know that you''re short on time, we didn''t want you to miss out on the fact that Facing History offers a number of online learning opportunities.
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Because we know that you''re short on time, we didn''t want you to miss out on the fact that Facing History offers a number of online professional development opportunities that are both flexible and practical.
We hope you will join us at one of these upcoming free webinars,online courses and self-paced workshops, where we will model strategies designed to help you navigate these challenging times in your classroom.
Facing History and Ourselves 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445 Update your email preferences
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Our Teaching Idea, Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter? is designed to help students take stock of their media choices.
Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter?
Dear Luke,
We live in a time when it can be difficult to identify reliable news sources. Though the term "fake news" is often used as a political weapon, the problem of stories that are reliant on sloppy journalism, intentionally misleading, or fabricated, is real.
Whatever the news story, young people need media literacy tools to assess the articles and videos that come through their feeds and to consider the ethics of what they read and share.
Our Teaching Idea, Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter? is designed to help students take stock of their media choices, explore media bias, and think about what healthy news habits they want to adopt.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Don''t forget to join us online with Jelani Cobb next Tuesday!
Dear Luke,
Join Facing History for a timely conversation with TheNew Yorker writer Jelani Cobb next Tuesday, April 28th. In this unprecedented moment, we will explore what it means to be an upstander. Jelani is a preeminent voice on American politics, history, and culture, whose insights on race and injustice are frequently featured across media channels, including the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th on Netflix. Please register here to join us!
We'll talk with Jelani about how COVID-19 has exposed the ways our society has devalued so many in its workforce-nurses, grocery store clerks, transportation workers, teachers-who we now acknowledge as heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic. Through this lens, we will explore how to empower young people so that they can contribute to, and understand the complexities of, creating a truly equitable society. You can explore Jelani's writing for The New Yorker here.
We hope to see you online soon!
Until then, stay healthy and spread calm.
Roger Brooks
President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
ON TUESDAY:
SEEING THE UNSEEN:
PURSUING EQUITY DURING COVID-19
A Community Conversation with Dr. Jelani Cobb
Tuesday, April 28
8PM ET; 7PM CT; 5PM PT
Register Here
Jelani Cobb is a staff writer for The New Yorker and Ira P. Lipman Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. Dr. Cobb received the Sidney Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism for his New Yorker columns, and was praised for combining "the strengths of an on-the-scene reporter, a public intellectual, a teacher, a vivid writer, a subtle moralist, and an accomplished professional historian."
FINAL CONVERSATION:
AMBASSADOR SAMANTHA POWER
Thursday, May 7
8PM ET; 7PM CT; 5PM PT
Register Here
Samantha Power joins us for our last conversation in this series. Power is a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School. From 2013-2017, Power served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and a member of President Obama's cabinet. From 2009-2013, Power served on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. Power's book, "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. She is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Chasing the Flame: One Man's Fight to Save the World (2008) and The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir (2019), which was named one of the best books of 2019 by the New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, NPR, and TIME.
We would like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support of Facing History''s work:
SILVER BENEFACTORS
BRONZE BENEFACTORS
PATRON SPONSORS
CIBC | Colliers | FireEye | Goldman, Sachs & Co.
ITW | Joffrey Ballet | Loop Capital
Milken | O'Melveny | Seven Post Investment
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
We extend special thanks to the corporations that provide leadership support to our programs worldwide:
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Once again, our nation's educators are called on to help their students process and understand unspeakable acts.
Dear Luke,
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
The horrific deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor shocked too many of us. Communities around the country are struggling with the pain, confusion, and anger caused by the persistent acts of racist violence carried out against black people and other people of color. We know many of you have used your voice and your body to stand up to bigotry and hate this past week. As always, Facing History and Ourselves stands with you.
Once again, our nation's educators are called on to help their students process and understand these unspeakable acts, some captured on video, as well as the complexities of the recent protests in the wake of Floyd's death. Here at Facing History, we''re building new resources so that teachers have the support they need.
We are angry, and we are unwavering in our pursuit of a world where "I can't breathe" is no longer anyone's last statement. We know many of you are looking to us at this moment. As always, Facing History is providing the tools and resources to meet this moment -- to help teachers and their students understand the history that has brought us here, as well as their role in shaping the future.
Facing our history means standing up; it means unpacking our biases, recognizing our blind spots, and seeking knowledge to overcome ignorance and fear. For educators and community members working to create a more just and equitable future: we are here, and we are committed to making racial equity a reality. While we all want change as quickly as possible, it takes hard work. We are proud of the countless teachers, students, and supporters who use our approach to challenge themselves to open their hearts and minds, transforming their classrooms, their schools, and their communities.
Every student deserves futures free from bigotry and hate. Supporting Facing History is an investment in the just, equitable future we are all so desperately seeking right now.
Abby R. Weiss Smith Family Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer Facing History and Ourselves
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Many of our most pressing contemporary issues across the globe are rooted in history and cannot be understood without the context of the past.
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So many contemporary issues across the globe are rooted in history and cannot be truly understood without the context of the past.
How can educators nurture a reflective and democratic classroom when faced with controversial events? How can they make sure all students' voices are heard?
We hope you will join us at one of these upcoming free webinars,online courses and self-paced workshops, where we will model strategies designed to help you navigate these challenging times in your classroom.
Facing History and Ourselves 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445 Update your email preferences
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We're so close to reaching our goal of receiving 100 donations by midnight! Please consider donating now.
Dear Luke,
This is just a quick note to let you know that it's not too late: there's still time to show your support of Facing History and Ourselves on this special #GivingTuesdayNow.
Give Now
This pandemic is decimating the educational systems our communities rely on, and we've been expanding our work to respond to the urgent needs of teachers, and the students and families they serve. So I'm asking for your support right now because, frankly, we really need it -- in any amount you can contribute.
Make a donation right now, and help us continue to support teachers like Sneha:
I want to thank you for all that Facing History is doing right now to support teachers! I just got done with a webinar that was amazing. I'm using the resources [you email every week] in all of my digital lesson planning. I could not be more grateful. Facing History is definitely an essential service for teachers! Thank you for all that you do, now more than ever.
--Sneha W., Educator, Boston, MA
We're so close to reaching our goal of receiving 100 donations by midnight! Will you help us get there by making your first gift, of any amount, right now?
Thank you for being a part of the Facing History community!
Anne-Marie Fitzgerald
Chief Operating Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Will you join us for a timely discussion with award-winning New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb next Tuesday?
Dear Luke,
We are thrilled to welcome award-winning New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb to Facing History for our Community Conversations series celebrating upstanders-those who choose to make a difference in the world by speaking out against injustice.
Next Tuesday, April 28th, Jelani will lead a timely discussion about the history of labor in America and how COVID-19 has exposed the ways in which our society has devalued so many in its workforce-nurses, grocery store clerks, transportation workers, teachers-who we now acknowledge as heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic. Through this lens, we will explore how to empower young people so that they can contribute to, and understand the complexities of, creating a truly equitable society.
Please register here to join us! We encourage you to spread the word and invite family and friends to join as well. You can find more information on this event and on our final conversation in the series with Ambassador Samantha Power below.
Stay healthy and spread calm.
Roger Brooks
President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
P.S. More than 1,600 supporters and friends joined our first Community Conversations event with actor and activist George Takei! Watch the recording on our website to be inspired by George's powerful stories of resilience, resistance, and hope.
We would like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support of Facing History''s work:
SILVER BENEFACTORS
BRONZE BENEFACTORS
PATRON SPONSORS
CIBC | Colliers | FireEye
Goldman, Sachs & Co. | Joffrey Ballet | Loop Capital
Milken | O'Melveny | Seven Post Investment
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
We extend special thanks to the corporations that provide leadership support to our programs worldwide:
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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This Teaching Idea outlines the facts about COVID-19 and gives students the opportunity to explore discrimination related to coronavirus.
Coronavirus: Protect Yourself And Stand Against Racism
Dear Luke,
Since January, the world has been on high alert concerning the spread of the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19. As more cases are reported daily, anxiety concerning the virus and our ability to contain it grows. This anxiety has been coupled with a rise in racism, xenophobia, and discrimination: in Europe and North America, many people of Asian heritage have been racially abused in public and wrongfully blamed for the spread of the virus.
This Teaching Idea outlines the known facts about COVID-19 and gives students the opportunity to explore instances of discrimination related to this novel strain of coronavirus. Providing students with factually correct information and opportunities to reflect on the consequences of discrimination makes them less likely to participate in coronavirus-inspired racism and encourages them to challenge such othering if, or when, they encounter it.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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How have the pandemic and allegations of voter fraud raised barriers to voting that may disenfranchise many Americans?
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29
8 PM ET | 7 PM CT
6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
Register Now
How have the pandemic and allegations of voter fraud raised barriers to voting that may disenfranchise many Americans?
Facing History and Ourselves and FRONTLINE PBS invite you to join us for a special panel discussion about the FRONTLINE PBS film Whose Vote Counts, which explores an issue critical to the 2020 election: access to voting. Jelani Cobb, Columbia Journalism School Professor and The New Yorker writer, joins June Cross, documentary filmmaker and Columbia Journalism School Professor, and FRONTLINE PBS producer Tom Jennings, for this timely discussion on one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent memory.
Whose Vote Counts is available to watch beginning Tuesday, October 20 at pbs.org/frontline, in the PBS Video App, or on YouTube.
Jelani Cobb has contributed to The New Yorker since 2012, and became a staff writer in 2015. He is the recipient of the 2015 Sidney Hillman Award for Opinion and Analysis writing and writes frequently about race, politics, history and culture.
June Cross' career has highlighted stories of the dispossessed and the importance of community through video documentary. She recently completed the Emmy-nominated Wilhemina's War which premiered at DOC NYC, screened at the Pan African Film Festival, and aired on PBS' Independent Lens in February 2016.
Tom Jennings has been producing for FRONTLINE since 2009, when he first collaborated with the investigative news group ProPublica. Jennings has won two national Emmy Awards, the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton Award, the Overseas Press Club Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards.
Learn more about our featured speakers here.
We would like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support of the Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice event series:
DIAMOND BENEFACTOR
SILVER BENEFACTOR
This is the third installment in the year-long Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice virtual event series.
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Please join us for a dialogue with Dr. Carol Anderson exploring the history of the fight for African Americans' voting rights.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
8 PM ET / 5 PM PT
Register Now
Free and fair elections are the foundation of all democracies. The US Voting Rights Act of 1965 established protections for all Americans, especially for Black Americans. However the 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v Holder dismantled key elements of the Voting Rights Act and voter suppression efforts are ongoing across the country.
Please join us for a dialogue with Dr. Carol Anderson; professor, historian, and National Book Critics Circle Award winner, exploring the history of the fight for African Americans' voting rights as part of the struggle for racial justice in the United States.
Carol Anderson is the Charles Howard Candler Professor and Chair of African American Studies at Emory University.
She is the author of several award-winning books, including Eyes Off the Prize: The United Nations and the African-American Struggle for Human Rights, 1944-1955, the New York Times bestseller White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide, and One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy. Her research has garnered fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Foundation, National Humanities Center, Harvard University's Charles Warren Center, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.
She earned her Ph.D. in history from The Ohio State University. Read more about Carol Anderson here.
This is the second installment in the year-long Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice virtual event series.
Live captioning will be available during this event, which will be hosted on the ON24 webinar platform. Instructions on how to join this event will be provided upon registration.
We would like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support of the Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice event series:
DIAMOND BENEFACTOR
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Over the last week we've been reminded of who John Lewis was - a courageous leader standing on the front lines against bigotry and hate.
Dear Luke,
Today, John Lewis will be laid to rest.
Over the last week we've been reminded of who John Lewis was - a representative, a statesman, and, in early days, an extraordinarily courageous young leader standing on the front lines against bigotry and hate.
We reflect in awe at his persistence in action and service. And each of us in the Facing History and Ourselves community aspires to "be brave, be bold, be courageous," as he not only instructed us, but modeled for us. Seared into our collective memory is the image of his courage at 25 years old, in the battle for voting rights, beaten and bloodied by police in Selma, Alabama. A powerful reminder of the need to protect the rights that were fought for as we head into the voting booth this year.
As we mourn the loss of John Lewis, we celebrate his life and legacy of moral courage and conviction, and commit to moving forward until we reach our shared vision. Let us never forget his charge: "History tells us we must never give up. Faith in history and faith in ourselves; we must deal with our past in order to free and liberate ourselves for the future."
We encourage you to watch this short video, hearing directly from John Lewis, as he shares an inspiring story of togetherness and resilience.
Watch John Lewis on Bringing the Country Together
Sincerely,
Lara James
Chief Marketing Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Our latest Teaching Idea uses the story and images of the Lee monument to consider the power of symbols and the role of public spaces.
Confronting History, Transforming Monuments
Dear Luke,
Over the past several months, statues honoring Confederate leaders have begun to come down across the country. Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, has become one of the most noteworthy case studies of a community engaging in debate about removing these statues. Since 1890, a massive 60-foot tall statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee has dominated the city's Monument Avenue.
The Lee Monument still stands, pending a legal challenge to its proposed removal, but over the summer protestors, artists and community members transformed the site in an attempt to reclaim its meaning.
Our latest Teaching Idea uses the story and images of the Lee monument to consider the power of symbols and the role of public spaces and to help students explore the summer's protests through the lens of voice, agency, solidarity, and even joy in the face of injustice. The Teaching Idea also includes Google Slides and other adaptations for remote and hybrid learning.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Our new teaching idea contains guidance for discussing the election on November 4 and beyond.
Responding to the 2020 US Presidential Election
Dear Luke,
Americans will head to the polls next Tuesday to elect the next President of the United States. While we don't know what the results will be, or even when they will be clear, we do know that students will need to talk. This week, we're sharing several new resources designed to help you and your students engage in important, timely conversations about the election and its aftermath.
Use our Free and Fair Elections Explainer before or after election day to understand the standards that governments need to meet to ensure that an election is "free and fair." The accompanying Teaching Idea invites students to reflect on the importance of elections and learn about electoral systems in their region.
Our new teaching idea, Responding to the 2020 US Presidential Election, contains guidance for discussing the election on November 4 and beyond. It includes a collection of activities to help students process their emotional responses to the election, find accurate information, and consider the impact of the election once the results are known.
Prepare to Discuss the 2020 Election
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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This Teaching Idea helps students explore the history of voting rights in the United States and voter suppression today.
Voting Rights in the United States
Dear Luke,
Voting rights are a fraught issue this year during the 2020 presidential election. Since the US Supreme Court struck down a key section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, many states have passed laws that create barriers to voting, by limiting the types of ID voters can use, disenfranchising felons, restricting early and absentee voting, and removing voters' names from registration lists if they have not voted recently. Many of these laws are being challenged in the courts, with critics arguing that they disproportionately affect voters who are racial minorities, poor, or young. These new voting laws affected voting in the 2018 midterm elections and will continue to impact voting this year during the 2020 presidential election.
This Teaching Idea helps students explore the history of voting rights in the United States, the impact of the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, and questions around voting rights and voter suppression today.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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Learn about the trend and one teacher's response to an antisemitic incident in her community.
Responding to Rising Antisemitism
Dear Luke,
Antisemitic incidents have been on the rise across the United States and Europe in recent years. In 2019, Jews across the country were subject to both verbal and physical harassment, Jewish homes and houses of worship were violently attacked, and schools and public places in the United States saw an upsurge in antisemitic graffiti. This alarming trend raises the question: how can communities respond after an antisemitic incident to repair the damage and prevent further acts of antisemitism?
In this Teaching Idea, students learn about the rising number of antisemitic incidents in the United States and then explore how one teacher responded when she heard about an antisemitic incident involving high school students in her community.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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We're asking you to stand with us on Tuesday, May 5th for a new day of global giving: #GivingTuesdayNow.
Dear Luke,
Thank you for being a valued part of the Facing History community. Today, we're asking our closest friends and supporters, including you, to stand with us for a new day of global giving: #GivingTuesdayNow.
Our goal is to receive 100 donations between now and #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5th. Any amount makes a difference! Can we count on your support?
#GivingTuesdayNow was created because the nonprofit and community organizations that we all rely on to feed, house, and educate communities in need, are in crisis at the very moment the world needs them most. Facing History is no exception, and we hope we can count on your generosity during this time of need.
Since the early days of this pandemic, Facing History has expanded our work to respond to the urgent needs of teachers, as well as the students and families they serve. COVID-19 has disrupted education on a global scale; more than 290 million kids are out of school, and teachers and families are grappling with how to adapt the essential function of education from the classroom to the living room. Facing History has been here every step of the way, providing teachers with resources they can count on when so much else is uncertain.
This once in a century pandemic has created unprecedented financial hardship and this has impacted every individual and organization on the planet. That's why #GivingTuesdayNow is so important, and we're grateful to be part of this global giving movement. We're counting on you to help us face this moment.
Join us for #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5th, or show your support by giving to Facing History and Ourselves today.
Lara James
Chief Marketing Officer
Facing History and Ourselves
Give Today
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.
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This Teaching Idea provides an overview of the ERA and an opportunity for students to explore some of the history behind the struggle around its ratification.
The Equal Rights Amendment: A 97-Year Struggle
Dear Luke,
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) fell just short of the 38 states required for ratification by the 1982 deadline set by Congress. Recently, however, activists have pushed to revive the campaign to ratify the ERA. Women's rights activists hope that the ERA now has another chance to become a part of the US Constitution, formally guaranteeing women equal rights to men.
Whether or not the ERA becomes a part of the Constitution as a result of the current process, it is important for students to learn about the amendment. This Teaching Idea provides an overview of the ERA and an opportunity for students to explore some of the history behind the struggle around its ratification.
Get the Teaching Idea
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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This Teaching Idea is a guide for teachers to begin conversations with their students about George Floyd's death and the events around it.
Reflecting on George Floyd''s Death and Police Violence Towards Black Americans
Dear Luke,
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was suffocated by a police officer in Minneapolis, while three other officers looked on. George Floyd has joined a long list of black men, women, and children who have been killed in recent years by police officers. (See many of their names here.) Protests have erupted across the United States-and even across the world-in response to these deaths.
This Teaching Idea is a guide for teachers to begin conversations with their students about George Floyd's death and the events that surround it. Such conversations are always difficult for teachers to facilitate, and distance learning presents added challenges to teaching sensitive material. Despite these challenges, it's critical to make space for students to process the difficult and deeply painful events of the past week.
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Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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Already, your support of Facing History has assisted over 100,000 teachers in our network, and welcomed 10,000 additional teachers.
Dear Luke,
Today, more than 120,000 schools in the US are closed. The education of 55 million children has been disrupted. And bigotry and bias are on the rise, especially against Asian Americans. The Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council has reported more than 1,000 incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans in just the last two weeks. These seismic shifts are making life-and learning-that much harder for teachers, students, and communities everywhere.
Butwe aren't powerless. Already, your support of Facing History has assisted over 100,000 teachers in our network, and welcomed 10,000 additional teachers this March-more than double our normal monthly average.
Early on in the crisis, when we saw instances of bigotry aimed at China, and at Asian people more broadly, we were among the first to address this with a teaching resource: Coronavirus: Protect Yourself and Stand Against Racism. This one resource has been viewed over 13,000 times in the last three weeks alone. It was recommended by the New York Times and Slate, and New York City Schools-the largest group of districts in the US-shared it with every one of its teachers.
You may have your own children at home with you now, or know children whose education has transitioned online. We have focused our efforts on the urgent needs of classroom teachers shifting to digital education. Our webinars and educator outreach are helping to create school cultures at home: safe spaces in which students can continue to explore their own identities and cultivate empathy and understanding for others-especially those who may be different than themselves.
Amid persistent discrimination, our mission to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate has never been more relevant, and teachers and students everywhere are counting on us.
Through the generosity of others, we are here for them.
We have heard from dozens of teachers, from across the country, expressing their gratitude for our timely response; we have seen record numbers of participants in our webinars, and using our online resources. As schools remain closed until further notice, we will continue to deliver the highest quality of teaching resources and support to educators in this time of uncertainty.
We know that some of the hardest days are still ahead, and we promise: we aren't going anywhere. We will continue to do whatever it takes to carry out our mission. But we cannot do this without you.
If you are able to make a donation to support our crucial work during this time, please do so here.
Stay healthy and spread calm.
Roger Brooks
President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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I am writing today to share with you Facing History's perspective on the tragic events we have been witnessing in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
Dear Luke,
I am writing today to share with you Facing History's perspective on the tragic events we have been witnessing in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Minneapolis is my hometown, and you will find my personal reflections in today's blog post. Both personally and on behalf of Facing History, please know that we stand together in pain and horror, at what we are once again witnessing but also with unfailing resolve and commitment to fight for justice.
Stay healthy and spread calm-- Roger
Roger Brooks President and Chief Executive Officer Facing History and Ourselves
A Message from Facing History: A Reckoning Amidst The Pandemic
Having watched the events of the last week, we at Facing History and Ourselves are hurting and grieving. We have seen George Floyd''s brutal death at the hands of police, the sorrow and outrage of protesters in Minneapolis and around the country, and presidential tweets that escalate threats of further violence -- all set against the backdrop of an ongoing pandemic which disproportionately impacts communities of color and reinforces long standing inequities. It is painful.
But as students of the past, we are not surprised. We witnessed the indignity Christian Cooper experienced while we followed the tragic news of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We understand the ways that history is alive in this moment: these events underscore how the legacy of slaveholding has passed to many in our society - including, lethally, law enforcement - who too frequently display indifference and disregard for black lives and black dignity. In fact, full lives and dignity are not possible when systems of law and order are not equally enforced. We stand against the systemic racism and individual bigotry that continue to take the lives of black men, women, and children in the US and other countries around the world.
We are also educators, thinking of our young people watching these same events. Many are hurting, questioning whether they belong, whether they have rights that will be respected, whether their lives matter -- and many lack the supportive space of a classroom community to express their feelings and process their questions.
In this painful moment, what does it mean to be accountable to the history we teach and worthy of the students in our classrooms? Facing our history means reckoning with our repeated failure to live up to our ideals in the United States, not just as institutions but also as individuals. It also means taking strength from the bravery and persistence of those who have always insisted that America keep its promises. Facing History and Ourselves has been committed to using the lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate for over 40 years. As educators and as members of our communities, we recommit to this work and we ask you to join us.
Facing History and Ourselves reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history-and history in the making-Facing History equips teachers to help students confront prejudice, racism, and antisemitism, empowering them to become adults who change the world for the better.
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I want to thank you for the support you have shown to Facing History and Ourselves as we enter what is already a harrowing new year.
Dear Luke,
In the wake of yet another unimaginable moment, I want to thank you for the support you have shown to Facing History and Ourselves as we enter what is already a harrowing new year.
At Facing History, we frequently discuss the fragility of democracy. Students need to understand the gap between the aspirations of our governing ideals and the realities of moments when civil liberties or the rule of law are in jeopardy. Yesterday, as armed rioters infiltrated the U.S. Capitol building, we saw this fragility play out before us with brutal clarity.
Because of the generosity of a record number of supporters last year, teachers did not have to face yesterday's events alone. Facing History and Ourselves was prepared to respond immediately. Last night, we published a new Teaching Idea, Responding to the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, sharing exercises and strategies for educators to use in their classrooms today. This resource has already been viewed over 100,000 times, the most ever in our extremely popular Current Events collection.
One teacher wrote last night, "It is a tribute to all of your hard work, careful thought, and clear mission that the first place I went for guidance and options was your website. I've been checking every hour on the hour because I knew you would be here for all of us."
We steadfastly believe in using lessons of history to challenge all of us to stand for the sanctity of our votes, for social equity and justice under the law, and for the resilience of democracy. There is so much for us to do, and we hope you will continue to partner with us in this purpose.
Now more than ever, stay healthy and spread calm-
Roger Brooks
President and CEO
Facing History and Ourselves
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Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. We believe the bigotry and hate that we witness today are the legacy of brutal injustices of the past. Through our partnership with educators around the world, we are creating the next generation of leaders who will build a world based on knowledge and compassion, the foundation for more democratic, equitable, and just societies.