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)
Facing History & Ourselves Announces New Chair of the Board of Directors
Facing History & Ourselves announces that Jill Garling will succeed Julie Abrams Leff as Chair of the Board of Directors.
![Picture of Jill Garling.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/jill-garling_circle_645.png?h=19d72f36&itok=J_b5MO6q)
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)
A Note from Our New Jewish Education Program Director, Rabbi Yehudah Potok
New Jewish Education Program Director, Rabbi Yehudah Potok, introduces himself to the Facing History & Ourselves community, with his hopes of deepening relationships with, and providing timely professional development opportunities for our teachers and educators.
Essential Teacher Habits for Driving Educational Equity
Facing History colleagues share tips for creating more educationally equitable school communities.
![A male teacher of Asian descent instructs a group of students.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/male_asian_teacher_with_students_in_classroom.png?h=16ec4b77&itok=Qx3TcvgN)
A Message to Our Educators on Teaching History
Since its founding, Facing History has dedicated itself to teaching factual history—in all its complexity.
![Two female students work together at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Somerville_Massachusetts_Classroom_2017_%20FH256803.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=74WEpHMh)
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)
We Are Being Called to Account
Hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) communities have deep roots in US history. We decry the violence in Atlanta and mourn with the victims' families.
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)