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.
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)
Inclusive Leadership: Lean into Discomfort
Facing History’s President and CEO offers advice for school leaders on how to navigate polarizing moments with students, staff, and the communities you serve.
![Our President and CEO, Desmond K. Blackburn PhD addresses a crowd of educators, alums, students, and supporters in Memphis, TN](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/Desmond2.png?h=e9403ca4&itok=txkL8JvY)
The Power of a Single Word: The 75th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention
Seventy-five years after coining the term "genocide," Raphael Lemkin's voice continues to echo in the consciousness and responses of global citizens.
![Raphael Lemkin's United Nations ID card](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/aa-p154-b01-f012-004-002.jpg?h=b64789bb&itok=TMt7Snq5)
Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance
Teachers and others can use these resources to learn about Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20.
![Pride flag](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-11/cecilie_johnsen_G8CxFhKuPDU_unsplash.jpg?h=d08f423e&itok=Ka3Ndv4C)
18 Teacher Resources on Native American History and Culture
Below are 18 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.
![Three members of the Sioux tribe pose in Indian Village, 1898.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/Black%20Foot-Standing-Bear_Big_Eagle_Sioux_ca_1898.jpg?h=26ac82e5&itok=5rYHkhl2)
All Community Read: George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy
Use this list of recommended resources to join in our All Community Read of George Takei's graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy.
![Profile of George Takei alongside his Book "They Called Us Enemy"](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-10/FY24%20ACR%20Header_v2.png?h=e9403ca4&itok=juRPIBQr)
The Little Rock Nine: Connecting 1957 to Today
Resistance to integration in the US didn’t stop just because of a Supreme Court ruling. But nine Black students from Little Rock helped change minds.
![Portrait of eight of The Little Rock Nine Students](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/Portrait_of_Eight_of_The_Little_Rock_Nine_Students-GettyImages-515019558.jpg?h=75848d61&itok=FGTst2Wa)
How Historical Empathy Helps Students Understand the World Today
Developing historical empathy can help students engage with the past while understanding their own role in the world today.
![A group of students seated in a circle engaging in a discussion](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/SL_190522_0610_0.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=EW-j120a)
Teaching about Labor Rights History
Labor movements have a long history. The rights we have today came out of historic demonstrations and protests.
!["We March For Jobs For All Now!" protest sign](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-08/visuals-OomLbW3j7ig-unsplash.jpg?h=a8856264&itok=1aBcZRcX)
9 of Our Favorite Back-to-School Activities and Resources
Try these classroom activities and resources at the start of the year to build a foundation for learning all year long.
![Students and educator work on an assignment](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-08/221116-0215.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=R-Z5CpUh)
How Two Teenagers Created a Textbook for Racial Literacy
Activist and author Winona Guo discusses the importance of personal narratives in fostering racial literacy and promoting democracy.
![Winona Guo And Priya Vulchi At TED Talk](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-08/24270063028_4e8fb648da_o%20%281%29.jpg?h=b69e0e0e&itok=-tjt-JsC)