Cleveland Hosts 4th Annual Benefit Dinner and Opens Choosing to Participate
October 21, 450 people gathered at the Western Reserve Historical Society for Facing History and Ourselves’ 4th Annual Benefit Dinner in Cleveland and to celebrate the grand opening of Facing History’s nationally acclaimed multimedia exhibition, Choosing to Participate.
Chaired by Holly Brooks and Deborah Plummer, the event included guided tours of the exhibit –which explores four compelling stories of about individuals and groups from American history who confront prejudice and injustice. Featured in the event’s program were, Lakewood High School teacher Joe Lobozzo and Shaw High School senior Alana Garrett Ferguson. Alana shared how Facing History has given her the courage to use her experiences as a victim of bullying to create positive change for the younger generation. Both Joe and Alana were featured at the event as part of the screening premier of The Working Group’s film project “Not in Our Schools,” an extension of the “Not in Our Town” component of Choosing to Participate.
Choosing to Participate creates opportunities for students, teachers, families, and community members to come together in conversation around complicated questions of prejudice and injustice and to identify ways to transform their communities. In the first week of opening its Cleveland, over 400 students toured the exhibit. Before it the exhibit comes to a close at the end of February, more than 7,000 students from across northeast Ohio will visit Choosing to Participate.
