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.
Exploring Black History through Black Poets
Engage with the powerful voices of Black poets and the rich history of poetry during Black History Month and beyond.
![black notebook and pen](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-04/blackPoetry.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=JdZbuFgb)
Holocaust Remembrance Day: A Time for Reflection and Learning
In recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we reflect on the profound loss of life, the experience of multigenerational trauma, and the pervasive stream of antisemitism that remains today.
![Candles in the shape of the Magen David (Star of David)](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/iStock-943678206.jpg?h=a49d782d&itok=yWNL_6Zl)
To See a Way Forward, We Must Face History
Desmond K. Blackburn, PhD, Facing History's President and CEO, reflects on his experience of visiting Holocaust extermination camps and how we must face this history head-on.
![Pensive Desmond](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/IMG_3929%20%281%29.jpg?h=b9ddd9df&itok=0xYrIJeO)
We Cannot Lose These Lessons: International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Holocaust remembrance honors the lost and informs the present: from survivor stories to the acts of perpetrators, we learn the consequences of hate.
![Color photograph of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Gate From The Outside](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-01/lasma-artmane-yZ6UJvLDgKc-unsplash.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=AEh8gPm_)
Teaching about the January 6 Insurrection and its Impact on US Democracy
The January 6 insurrection remains important to understand and discuss, as well as the larger questions it raises about the state of US democracy. A recent poll found that 52% of young people between 18 and 29 believe that either US democracy is "in trouble" or "failed," while only 7% agree that it is "healthy," further highlighting the need to teach students about democratic institutions.
![Black and white photo of the US State House](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/b%26w_photo_us_state_house.png?h=a6c55029&itok=OVK2Jup-)
Facing History UK - 2023 in Review
As 2023 comes to a close we look back at what we've achieved together to grow our community and stand up to bigotry and hate.
![Educators listening to Facing History & Ourselves staff speak.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-08/-3284.jpg?h=b69e0e0e&itok=LQc5xN_a)
Freedom Dreaming and the Struggle for Equality after Emancipation
We consider how the Emancipation Proclamation opened up the chance for freedpeople to finally determine their own lives and what that looked like.
![Graphic image of reading The Emancipation Proclamation](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/3a08642r.jpg?h=aaf45653&itok=St9QJ6ma)
Challenging Racial and Religious Hatred in the Classroom
A look at recent teacher training sessions to support teachers in discussing racial and religious hatred in the classroom.
![British Muslim Heritage Center in Manchester, United Kingdom](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/89d8eee9-963c-4e8b-ae1b-773df34741a3.jpg?h=ddb1ad0c&itok=VnEqTJ8b)
Hope Will Never Be Silent
How do we remain hopeful in the face of overwhelming sorrow and anger? Use these strategies to help you and your students stay engaged.
!["Don't Give Up" yard sign](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-11/rosie-kerr-Gz0PxBYPfs8-unsplash.jpg?h=85250578&itok=VofhWW3M)
Inclusive Leadership: Lean into Discomfort
Facing History’s President and CEO offers advice for school leaders on how to navigate polarizing moments with students, staff, and the communities you serve.
![Our President and CEO, Desmond K. Blackburn PhD addresses a crowd of educators, alums, students, and supporters in Memphis, TN](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/Desmond2.png?h=e9403ca4&itok=txkL8JvY)
Religious Inclusion in the Workplace with Prof. Binna Kandola
Much emphasis has been placed in recent times on racial and gender inclusivity, but an area that's often overlooked is religious inclusion.
![Facing History speaker in front of audience](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/20231121_185626.jpg?h=1edf5e40&itok=PQC3AhUw)