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.
Historical Diaries and Journals as a People's History
Historical diaries and journals help us picture what it was like to live in the past and remind us of the role that our choices play in shaping the future.
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![A person writing in a journal or notebook with a pen](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-08/hannah-olinger-8eSrC43qdro-unsplash.jpg?h=88cb5b32&itok=9zzjAnft)
Martha’s Vineyard, an African American Seaside Paradise
With the charming town of Oak Bluffs as a center of activity, Martha’s Vineyard became—and remains—a peaceful holiday playground for Black Americans.
![Martha's Vineyard, MA - September 10: Peggy Barmore, center, an Inkwell Polar Bear for over 20 years, leads the bears out of Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs after their exercise. Every morning until late October, Polar Bears gather to swim, exercise and commune. Founded in 1946 as a safe space for Black swimmers, the Polar Bears of Martha's Vineyard have a rich history.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-08/On%20Tony%20Martha%27s%20Vineyard%2C%20A%20Center%20Of%20Black%20Political%20Power%20Grows%20%28FH2209152%29.jpg?h=c5377bb9&itok=Sbw7miun)
Alice Milliat, a pioneer of women’s sport
Step into the world of Alice Milliat, a pioneering spirit who defied societal norms and revolutionised women’s sports.
![Black and white image of French Athlete Alice Milliat in rowboat.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-07/Alice_milliat.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=r3Xo7388)
Ida B. Wells, an Upstander through Journalism
Wells's trailblazing reporting is an enduring lesson in the importance of journalism as a conduit for vital information.
![Ida_B._Wells_circa_1895_by_Cihak_and_Zima](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-07/Ida_B._Wells_circa_1895_by_Cihak_and_Zima.jpg?h=dbd8bf56&itok=5__Ne_ol)
'Change Starts with Us': Our Student Reporters’ Perspective
Two student reporters provide an account of our recent anniversary event as part of their work experience.
![Students work with teacher in classroom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-07/DSC09780.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=Kl42oVRy)
Celebrating 20 Years of Facing History & Ourselves in the UK
On 21 June we held two events to showcase the work of Facing History UK and celebrate our twentieth anniversary.
![Women discuss at table.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-07/DSC09861.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=RLTW6Nlg)
To Teach or Not to Teach To Kill a Mockingbird
Facing History offers tools that can help you navigate the decision of whether—and how—to teach To Kill a Mockingbird responsibly.
![Assigned homework to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-07/Assigned%20homework%20to%20read%20To%20Kill%20a%20Mockingbird%20by%20Harper%20Lee%20-%20AdobeStock_500334726%20%28FH2208575%29.jpeg?h=b39c5fef&itok=Goj_w_7M)
Paragraph 175 & the Origins of the Pink Triangle
Learn about Paragraph 175 and the origins of the pink triangle, now a reclaimed source of pride and remembrance in LGBTQIA+ communities.
![Marchers carrying a pink triangle with the words: 'Never Forget' at the Lesbian and Gay Pride event, London, 18th June 1994.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-06/GettyImages-1438232625.jpg?h=3fd7e85e&itok=uz7zt64N)
Understanding Our Past and Shaping Our Future During Civic Season
Learn more about Civic Season in this interview with upstander Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager of Made By Us.
![Volunteers plant a tree](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-06/Volunteers%20Planting%20a%20Tree%20%28FH2207952%29.png?h=93522f88&itok=TpyRhe1-)
A Brief History of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was not always widely known, but that has changed. The lessons of this moment in history remain deeply relevant today.
![Greenwood’s Gurley Hotel After The 1921 Tulsa Massacre](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-06/Greenwood%E2%80%99s%20Gurley%20Hotel%20After%20The%201921%20Tulsa%20Massacre%20%28FH2207953%29.jpg?h=f6328600&itok=8fiV2mPn)
Donor and Board Member Spotlight: Lamont Jones
Chair of Facing History Chicago’s Membership Committee, Lamont Jones, shares how he honors the lessons of history.
![Lamont Jones at a book signing cropped](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-06/Lamont%20Jones%20at%20a%20book%20signing%20cropped.jpeg?h=f8519acb&itok=OihHQC6d)