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Memphis Videos

See video Student Khadija H. Speaks at the 2007 Memphis Benefit Dinner
Khadija H., a Facing History student, and a survivor of Rwanda and Somalia, speaks at the 2007 Memphis Benefit Dinner about her understanding her own identity.
See video Teacher Hardy T. speaks at the 2007 Memphis Dinner
Hardy T., a Facing History teacher, speaks at the 2007 Memphis Benefit Dinner
See video Sherri McDonald Explains the Impact of Facing History on her Son
Sherri McDonald explains the impact Facing History has had on her son.  "At each Facing History seminar my son learned not just the depths to which flawed humanity may sink, but the heights to which the unquenchable human spirit can soar. He was outraged by the cruelty; he was awestruck by the heroism. Facing History and Ourselves transforms global struggles through meaningful engagement with such acuity and clarity that students realize, perhaps for the first time, 'That could be us....That could be me...'"He learned that how he chooses to live each day matters.
See video Student Addison B. Reflects on What He Has Learned from Facing History
Student Addison B. reflects on his experience with Facing History and Ourselves, learning to share personal views and respect the views of others. Through Facing History he has come to understand more about various historical events, and the motivations of people who participated.  Using the example of Rosa Parks, he shares his understanding of how complicated history can be.  He has leared to ask what is truth and what is myth, to think critically while avoiding cynicism and blame, and to appreciate the importance of civic participation.
See video Reverend Lamar Weaver Discusses Bull Connors

Rev. Weaver speaks about visiting segregationist Bull Connors' grave and the healing process.
See video Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth Recounts the Bombing of His Parsonage in 1956

Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth is the founder and leader of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. The organization was formed in 1956 after the Alabama attoney general shut down the NAACP in Alabama. On Christmas Eve, 1956 the Klan detonated a bomb outside Rev. Shuttlesworth's parsonage, intending to rid themselves of the leader who was surely a thorn in their side. They left him untouched and unshaken in his determination to ride Birmingham’s buses the next day.

Rev. Shuttlesworth recounts his response to the bombing of his parsonage in 1956. “I’ve learned how to deal with my enemy. Love ‘em, keep them on their toes, keep God in front, and move on!” Rev. Shuttlesworth speaks about the civil rights movement's commitment to non-violence.
See video Civil Rights Field Trip

Mahal speaks of her experiences on a Facing History Civil Rights field trip that culminated at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
See video Congressman John Lewis Remembers Freedom Rides
Congressman John Lewis speaks about the Freedom Rides of 1961, when he was part of a group of 7 white people and 6 black people traveling on buses from Washington, DC, to Mississippi as part of an effort to desegregate public transportation in the South.
See video Congressman John Lewis Speaks about Nonviolence
Congressman John Lewis recalls how he and other young people studied Thoreau, Gandhi, and King to learn about nonviolence and accept it as a way of life.  According to Lewis, "the means and the ends are inseparable."
See video Congressman John Lewis Describes Sit-Ins
Congressman John Lewis, a veteran of the civil rights movement, recalls the purpose of sit-ins: "By sitting in, or sitting down, in the 1960s as students, we were really standing up for the very best in the American tradition."  He recalls the activists' philosophy of nonviolence in the face of attacks they endured.