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.
![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)
A Gift for Your Classroom: Free Poster Download
Use our classroom posters to help foster a thoughtful and reflective learning environment.
![Collage of Facing History & Ourselves classroom posters.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-08/FY25ClassroomPosterThumbnail_LandingPageHeader_v2.png?h=c282529e&itok=UATunx-R)
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)
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)
Eight Recommended YA Books That Celebrate Immigrants
Facing History staff share engaging and insightful YA books in commemoration of Immigrant Heritage Month
![Crafted people of all colors circling the world](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-06/Crafted%20people%20of%20all%20colors%20circling%20the%20world%20%28FH2207839%29_0.png?h=9e2a23cf&itok=3dpBRfOn)
YA Books on The LGBTQIA+ Experience
Engage students in important themes raised in these books that center and speak to the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people.
![Illustration of people representing the LGBTQIA+ community](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-10/iStock-1221240434.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=iaemwm_G)
Pride Month: Celebration, Education, and Setbacks
In June we make space to connect with and lift up the history and contemporary experiences of LGBTQIA+ upstanders.
![Photograph of people walking under rainbow flag during Pride parade.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-06/mercedes-mehling-7J7x8HLXQKA-unsplash.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=-BIyWycg)
Nine YA Reading Recs for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Celebrate AAPI coming-of-age stories with this list of YA fiction and non-fiction titles curated by Facing History staff.
![Asian American teen surrounded by creatively stacked library books](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-05/Asian%20American%20teen%20surrounded%20by%20creatively%20stacked%20library%20books%20%28FH2205785%29.jpg?h=6892065b&itok=O-hCcDYt)
Overcoming Polarization: The Importance of Civil Discourse in a Divided World
Facing History offers tools that can help navigate conversations on polarizing topics with empathy, self-awareness, and critical thinking.
![Male professional talking to group around a table](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-05/FH2201156.jpg?h=62ea6fdc&itok=AnExRegn)
Teachers Say Teaching for Equity and Justice Makes a Difference
Teaching for Equity and Justice fosters equity awareness in order to build more inclusive classrooms and improve school culture.
![Woman Leading Meeting In An Office System](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-05/FH2205364.jpg?h=1116cd87&itok=ZpF6p0Bj)
Classroom Resources on AAPI History and Contemporary Life
These resources can help you explore the complexities of Asian and Pacific Islander American histories and contemporary experiences with students.
![Angel Island Immigration Station Graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-01/Angel_Island_Immigration_Station_Graphic_FH2185645.jpeg?h=76207c4d&itok=ATkcH65D)