W. E. B. Du Bois Reflects on the Purpose of History
W. E. B. Du Bois questions the way that Reconstruction was studied and taught in an excerpt from his 1935 book Black Reconstruction in America.
![A portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois, head-and-shoulders, facing slightly right.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/3a53178u.jpg?h=87584735&itok=bgkKYE0Q)
Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Examine the historical context leading up to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and understand how Eleanor Roosevelt became involved in the process.
![Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lake Success, New York, November 1949.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/24427-2011-001_a.jpg?h=e15b44ae&itok=kmDSMzTQ)
Democracy and Community
Students brainstorm different definitions of democracy and consider democracy's relationship to their own communities and cultures.
Quotations on Democracy in South Africa (set 1)
Reflect on quotes from South Africans about how the country's history informs its democracy.
![Nelson Mandela standing outdoors during daytime surrounded by 4 other people.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/nelson_mandela_2000_library_london_school_economics_political_science_wikimedia_commons.jpeg?h=61d820be&itok=_5FNcPJY)
Verifying the Story
Journalists discuss the difficulties they faced in verifying the facts after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
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Warning the World
Jan Karski, a diplomat and member of the Polish resistance during World War II, describes his experience in the Warsaw Ghetto and his meeting with U.S. President Roosevelt.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_529.jpg)
Wesley Lowery's Arrest
Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery describes how he was arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, and explains how freedom of the press was threatened during the protests.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_608.jpg)
Quand il n’existe pas de témoin-passif
Omer Bartov explique comment l’Holocauste s’est déroulé dans la ville de Buczacz en Europe de l’Est.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_1666.jpg)
Where Are You From From?
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Through the voices of ten young people living in Berlin, Germany; and New York, USA, Where Are You From From? highlights the insight of children of immigrants in two societies struggling with migration and national identity.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_1422.jpg)
Who Will Write Our History
This educational version of the documentary tells the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive, created by a clandestine group in the Warsaw Ghetto who vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda by detailing life in the ghetto from the Jewish perspective.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_969.jpg)
Why Study Reconstruction?
The Reconstruction era was a pivotal moment in American history. Civil rights were set in motion as Americans grappled to rebuild after the division and trauma of the Civil War, raising essential questions about freedom and democracy.
![](/sites/default/files/brightcove/videos/images/posters/image_457.jpg)