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.
Revisiting “The Hill We Climb”
Amanda Gorman's poem speaks to a shared American experience that resonates with youth and inspires hope.
![National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman recites her inaugural poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-05/AP_21020703530611_fullres.jpg?h=68813a66&itok=-3PF1h0C)
What Does a Current Event Lesson Look Like?
Three Facing History educators discuss how breaking news and world events are integrated into their classroom routine.
![Educators Banjineh “Op” Browne, Jennifer Staysniak, And Bridget Riley.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-03/Educators_Banjineh_%E2%80%9COp%E2%80%9D_Browne%2C_Jenny_Staysniak%2C_and_Bridget_Riley_for_Current_Events.jpg?h=d0c7edc2&itok=lWOGfZc_)
Resistance and Black History
Black resistance to systemic racism has formed a powerful narrative where hate and power are met with organization and defiance.
![Picture of Resist Protest Sign.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-02/Untitled_design.jpg?h=eb24755d&itok=VBmPqFW4)
One Teacher Speaks to the Power of Our Current Events Collection
Current events come along fast—Facing History gives educators what they need when they need it to reflect on world events with care.
![Image of antimated teacher asking "How will I address this with students tomorrow?""](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-01/BridgetRileyInterview_Frame2_0.png?h=ba6fe428&itok=ONEmOR2i)
5 New Books on Black History
These titles cover themes in Black history that are closely connected to the themes of our educator resources including the significant roles of Black people in the construction of the U.S. and the implications of decisions to memorialize (or not memorialize) those events.
![Book cover images of The South and Black Hands, White House](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/south_black_hands_book_covers.jpeg?h=cabca9e9&itok=Jexh0Mbc)
bell hooks Taught Us to Transgress
Like many people of my generation who cut their teeth on the critical insights of bell hooks, news of her passing in December unleashed a wave of reflection for me about the ways she’s impacted me as a person and public scholar. Beyond the many moments of resonance I experienced while reading her writings over the years, her impact on me is most powerfully encapsulated in an experience I had in 2008 when I met her.
![bell hooks standing on stage and speaking while holding a microphone.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/bellhooks.jpeg?itok=jpRETw0k)
African Americans and the History of "Human Rights"
As a United Nations panel of experts is set up to investigate systemic racism and human rights abuses against Black people around the world, we explore a series of African American leaders who have invoked the language of “human rights” to underscore the urgency of their situation here in the U.S.
![Olympians on the podium, bowing their heads and raising a fist with a black glove.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/Fist_raised_Olympics_1968public_domain.jpeg?h=96687ce6&itok=yaBd2oCU)
13 Teaching Ideas on Human Rights
During Universal Human Rights Month, in December, we invite you to use any of these Teaching Ideas grounded in social-emotional learning (SEL) that provide ample social and historical context while being concise and easy to integrate into your classroom conversations.
![Paper cut outs of face profiles in different skin tones.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/graphical_diversity_paper_faces_1894061167.jpeg?h=3a5dff94&itok=qAstbdWw)
6 Indigenous-Led COP26 Events You Can Stream
With the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) currently taking place, Facing History hand-selected a curated list of conference events that speak to the Indigenous ways of conceiving of the natural world and its relationship to humanity.
![Indigenous Justice is Climate Justice sign in crowd protesting for environmental justice.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ijicj_large.jpeg?h=5dc822d2&itok=9Da4VNUE)