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.
Remembering Toni Morrison
In her 88 years, Toni Morrison left an indelible impact on the world of literature through her acclaimed work as a writer, editor, and educator and her insights into African American life.
![Toni_Morrison_2008 at a podium (FH2200805)](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Toni_Morrison_2008%20%28FH2200805%29.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=wid9wjJR)
Bring Black History into Your Classroom throughout the Year
History is full of fascinating threads to follow. Discover stories and lessons that will capture your students’ interest during Black History Month.
![Abstract Art](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/Black_History_Month_Abstract_Togetherness_African_American_Black_Ethnicities_Marching_Celebrate_Community_Strength_Activism_Equality_Diversity_Generative_AI_Tools_Technology_illustration.jpg?h=9e16a70f&itok=qO2W3ZBG)
Inclusive Leadership: Listen with Intention
Facing History’s President and CEO reflects on his personal journey of learning to listen to others and why listening is just a powerful act.
![Desmond K. Blackburn, PhD at a lectern in front of a Facing History backdrop](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/1201-FAC-111223Hechler.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=V1DbrLaP)
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_)
King: A Life—A Conversation with Jonathan Eig and Adam Green
The life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. is explored in discussion with the author of the bestselling biography King: A Life and scholar Adam Green.
![Martin Luther King, Jr., half-length portrait, facing left, speaking at microphones](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/3c11165u.jpg?h=948fb393&itok=-XZCfpBO)
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)