A senior at Carson
High School, Jessica S. recently spoke at the Los Angeles Benefit about
the two-year journey she and her classmates experienced in teacher
Merri Weir's Facing History classes. On the first day of class Jessica
recalled self-segregating, thinking 'my color, my friends.'
Jessica described the course and the impact it had on the students-a diverse group whose families came from all corners of the world. "From learning about ourselves and each other, to studying difficult histories and human behavior, to feeling the need to act - that's the Facing History experience," she said.
"I have been asked, 'Does history matter?' As I look back on what we learned in Mrs. Weir's Facing History classes, I know what I feel. History should matter and does matter. It's who you are. You cannot know yourself until you know where you've been - where my grandfathers, my aunts, and my parents were. In our history classes, we took that journey and now years later, I no longer think, 'My color, my friends.' I think 'All colors - our background, our history, our future, our lives.'" [1]