Facing History on Martin Luther King Day: A message to our educators
Martin Luther King Day is a moment for reflection and service; for considering the life and legacy of an extraordinary individual; and for recommitting ourselves to the unfinished work he championed. At a time of extraordinary bigotry and violence, Dr. King challenged all Americans to confront our history of racial discrimination, to open our eyes to injustice, and to be intentional about building a better future.
![B&W photo of Martin Luther King Junior giving a speech](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/martin_luther_king_jr_speech_b%26w.jpeg?h=243ab64f&itok=KywjX2nD)
9 Resources for Teaching about MLK's Legacy
Here are 9 Facing History resources that can help you reflect on your own teaching practices, teach the history of the Civil Rights Movement, and explore contemporary issues around racial justice and democracy in the United States.
![Black and white photo of MLK and Mathew Ahmann in a Crowd](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/Civil_Rights_March_MLK_Mathew_Ahmann_crowd.jpeg?h=c652c7b1&itok=wD55zs-I)
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)
9 Leaders from Black History You Should Know
Learning about the larger systems and historical events that have played central roles in shaping Black history is vitally important, but it is also valuable to explore the individual lives, ideas, choices, and legacies of key figures in that unfolding story.
![Clara Luper Giving Speech Microphones Photo](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/Clara_Luper_speech_microphone_photo.png?h=047a4db4&itok=aXSNGzW9)
15 Classroom Resources on Black History and Life
What follows is an invitation to engage with important themes raised by Black History Month this February and throughout all of the months of the year.
![Shirley Chisholm B&W Portrait Photo](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/Shirley_Chisholm_b%26w_portrait_photo.png?h=a6c55029&itok=4x3iaEkx)
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)
Where Did the Word "Genocide" Come From?
Facing History informs readers on the history of the term "genocide."
![The term "genocide" is highlighted in a dictionary.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/genocide_dictionary_definition.png?h=a6c55029&itok=bw0cIvoy)
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)
Standing Up to Hatred on Cable Street
Students study the Battle of Cable Street in London by examining testimonies of individuals who demonstrated against fascist leader Oswald Mosley.
![Woman struggling with police as she is arrested for being an anti-fascist](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Arrested%20Anti-Fascist%20Demonstrator.jpg?h=5265ff56&itok=lPmk0zI3)
Analytical Writing: A Character Paragraph
Students write an analytical paragraph on character having generated claims, selected evidence and read a model paragraph.
![Calligraph pen and paper.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/calligraphy_pen.jpg?h=e59c519e&itok=E0_gx0ch)
Analytical Writing: The GCSE Character Essay
Students write an essay on character having generated claims, selected and annotated evidence, and read a model essay.
![Calligraph pen and paper.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/calligraphy_pen.jpg?h=e59c519e&itok=E0_gx0ch)
Rethinking America and the Holocaust
On-Demand
Virtual
Explore the motivations, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, the European refugee crisis of the 1930s, and the Holocaust. The webinar draws on Facing History’s innovative approach to historical inquiry and groundbreaking new sources from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's special exhibition, Americans and the Holocaust.
![Black and white photo of mass demonstration.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/AP_3811161102_Medium_res.jpg?h=00d1719e&itok=Ou9eNaS0)