Memphis Annual Benefit Pays Tribute to Reverend Billy Kyles and Phyllis and Paul Berz

Over 700 teachers, students, board members, donors, and community members filled the Peabody Hotel on November 5 for the 13th Facing History and Ourselves Memphis Benefit Dinner.  The evening celebrated the work of Facing History in Memphis and paid tribute to three individuals who have been instrumental to its success: Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles and Phyllis and Paul Berz. Reverend Kyles, a leader of the civil rights movement, has been a resource speaker for Facing History for over a decade and has shared his inspiring story with thousands of Facing History students.  Phyllis and Paul Berz have been staunch supporters and leaders of Facing History and Ourselves, and they have both served as Chairs of the Memphis Advisory Board and are currently members of the national Board of Directors (Paul) and Board of Trustees (Phyllis).

Student speaker Raven Williams, a junior at Overton High School, shared her own Facing History journey and thoughts:

"I will take the lessons of Facing History and Ourselves with me.  I will remember to respect individual differences.  I will remember that every life is valuable.  I will remember to advocate for those who are most vulnerable.  I will be skeptical of power and speak out when it’s being abused. Finally I will find the courage to care, when it seems like no one else does."

It was a truly magical evening. The experience so moved one guest, John Sylvester, he was inspired to write about it on his blog:

Facing History's work is based on the premise that "we need to- and can- teach civic responsibility, tolerance, ethics, understanding and social action to young people." They accomplish this through innovative and relevant studies, personal accounts and emotional connections to the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, Civil Rights Movements and other violent human experiences representative of our not so better history.  The night was filled with remarkable accounts and stories from both educators and students alike all of whom participating in a program that reaches over 1.8 million students in countries all over the world.