Ideas This Week
Ideas This Week is your hub for updates on all things Facing History—from announcements and featured press to expert interviews, impact stories, and essays on the ideas driving our work.
A Brief History of Barbie: From Fashion Model to Ida B. Wells
The introduction of the Ida B. Wells Barbie as part of the Women Series of Barbies marks an opportunity to gain meaningful insight into changing conceptions of gender, race, and education through the emergence and evolution of Barbie.
![Ida B. Wells barbie in court.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/idwbarbie_large.jpeg?h=e188ef2c&itok=DaKAijbC)
Teaching in the Light of Women's History
Women’s History Month not only provides the opportunity to further examine the profound ways in which women teachers, and broader perceptions of women, have shaped the teaching profession itself, but also reveals areas of patriarchal rhetoric we must disrupt in order to cultivate school communities that do right by teachers and students.
![Black and white School House 1870 photo with woman teacher.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Schoolhouse1870_Cropped.jpeg?h=82a2e98c&itok=UherGAUe)
The Problem of Archival Silences
Archives play a central role in shaping our perceptions of the past. It is vital that we ask critical questions about what a given archive may exclude, for what purposes it was assembled, and what this means about the stories it enables historians to tell.
![A book with worn blank pages sits open-faced.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/ArchivalSilences_Large.jpg?h=8e4088dc&itok=nsjEvQ59)
Exploring Audre Lorde’s Intersectionality
Audre Lorde was a Black lesbian scholar, feminist, mother, and poet who challenged us to think about the intersectionality of politics and identity.
![A headshot of Audre Lorde taken in 1980; her finger rests on her chin, and she is looking down](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/Audre%20Lorde.jpg?h=e9403ca4&itok=ckSP80ub)
The Afterdeath of the Holocaust: A Conversation with Dr. Lawrence L. Langer
Eminent Holocaust scholar Lawrence L. Langer raises critical questions about the narratives and languages used to characterize the Holocaust.
![A lit candle shines against a dark background](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-10/david-tomaseti-AaZlf5FgUws-unsplash_0.jpg?h=6acbff97&itok=yVR4YQYg)
Heeding King's Words: Reflections for MLK Day
The work of Martin Luther King Jr. was defined by the struggle for equity and peace. As we confront today's inequities, his insights can be a guide.
![Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/Martin%20Luther%20King%20Jr.%20Memorial%20in%20Washington%2C%20DC%2C%20FH2187338.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=s_0_XVJl)
Exploring Race and Education with Dr. Eve Ewing
Eve Ewing's research and books examine the intersection of race and history from the perspective of a native Chicagoan. We take a look at some of her celebrated work.
![1919 by Eve L. Ewing Cover, Haymarket Books](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/1919%20Cover%2C%20Haymarket%20Books%2C%20FH2196100.jpg?h=9bdf00a6&itok=WV8tF-61)
Race and Protest in Britain – A Young Person's Perspective
Facing History student, Kam Lambert, talks about his experiences of growing up as a mixed-race young man in Britain.
![Eight hands of mixed ethnicities are held up in fists.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/iStock-1248444510.jpg?h=d08f423e&itok=1OAYDft-)
Ready or Nought, it’s Time to Face Race in the UK
Learn about impressions of Nought and Crosses and how it connects to the personal experiences of Facing History UK team members.
![A black and white hand on a red background.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/Noughts%20and%20Crosses_Large.jpeg?h=903dff9f&itok=XYuV9bwM)
What's Wrong with Jojo Rabbit?
Taika Waititi's film Jojo Rabbit polarized both critics and audiences. This review considers the limits of its perspective on WWII and antisemitism.
![A group of Hitler Youth marching through a field](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/Hitler_Youth_Hiking_FH229449.jpg?h=359ead47&itok=-lq1BuTl)