Facing History and Ourselves - Memphis Feed

Princeton Prize in Race Relations Awarded to Memphis Student

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:42:16 +0000

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In the News

May 5, 2012

A Facing History and Ourselves student in Memphis, Tennessee, has been awarded the 2012 Princeton University Prize in Race Relations. Houston High School senior Sarah Naids received the award for her work establishing a diversity lecture series at her school.

With the help of her Facing History teacher, Michael Robinson, Naids hosted six lectures on topics ranging from Islam to apartheid in South Africa.

“I asked myself how I could begin to remove the obstacle of bigotry. Combating ignorance, I believed, was the first step,” Naids wrote in the Commercial Appeal last week. “I set out to do precisely that – to stand up, to cause change, and not merely to wonder why I experienced such intolerance and discrimination.”

Additional talks on women’s rights and the treatment of the physically and mentally disabled are still to come.

The Princeton University Prize in Race Relations was established in the 2003/2004 academic year to recognize, support, and encourage young people across the country who demonstrate a commitment to advancing the cause of positive race relations. A recognition ceremony for Naids will be held on May 22 at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.

Read “Removing Walls Against ‘Outsiders,’” by Sarah Naids, in the Commercial Appeal.

Learn more about our work in Memphis.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist and Author to Speak in Memphis

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:49:44 +0000

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In the News

February 28, 2012

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson will speak to audiences in Memphis, Tennessee, this week. Her book, The Warmth of Other Suns, sheds light on one of the most under-reported stories in American history: the 19th century migration of some six million black Americans from the American South to the urban North and West.

“I’m a product of the very migration that I’ve written about,” Wilkerson told the Commercial Appeal. “The people that participated in it didn’t talk about it, even with their own children.” Through meticulous research and interviews, Wilkerson wrote the book over a span of 15 years and threads together the stories of three individuals who migrated from the South, one to Chicago, another to New York, and another to Los Angeles.

Read the article “‘The Great Migration’ Tales Sad, Shocking,” by Wendi C. Thomas in the Commercial Appeal.

Read an interview with Isabel Wilkerson on the Facing History website.

Learn about our work in Memphis, Tennessee.

Making a Difference in Race Relations: Memphis Director Receives Top Award

Nicky Enriquez — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:23:23 +0000

February 14, 2012

For everyone to view

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The director of the Facing History and Ourselves office in Memphis, Tennessee, was honored over the weekend for her significant contributions to the city in the area of race relations. Rachel Shankman was one of seven women to receive the 2012 Ruby R. Wharton Outstanding Woman Award in a City Hall ceremony hosted by Memphis mayor A C Wharton, Jr., and his wife, Ruby.

“Race relations is still an issue that we as a city and we as a nation grapple with,” Shankman said by telephone following the ceremony. “It is an issue that is near and dear to my heart and if we get it right, I believe it can inspire us to be the city and nation we hope to become.”

The award, established in 2005, recognizes women who have worked to improve the quality of life for others and made significant strides in areas including early childhood, race relations, women’s rights, and politics.

“The award is truly an opportunity to showcase and recognize women in these categories who have made a contribution to our community. The intent is to hopefully inspire women of all ages to find their own opportunities to join these ranks,” Shankman said. “To be recognized in the company of these extraordinary women and to have this award in the name of Ruby Wharton, a woman I hold in such high esteem, is an extraordinary honor.”

Shankman grew up in Tennessee, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She credits her family with inspiring her dedication to improving race relations. “My parents came to Nashville in 1949 as Holocaust survivors. One of the challenges they faced when considering what this country promised was the reality of segregation. Race, the importance of equality, and respect were all very much a topic at my dinner table,” she said.

Shankman first heard about Facing History in the mid-1980s when Facing History Vice President and Chief Program Officer Marc Skvirsky and Jan Darsa, director of the organization’s Center for Jewish Education, traveled to Memphis to facilitate a workshop for educators. “I was struck by Facing History’s level of scholarship and approach to teaching a history that was so close to me,” she said. “But what really drew me to the organization was that it was not just about memorializing a history, it was about prevention. It was about allowing people of all races to enter into this conversation and to see their history captured in what Facing History was talking about.” She later traveled to the organization’s international headquarters in Brookline, Massachusetts, to attend a seminar and joined the Facing History teacher leadership team.

When Facing History opened its regional office in Memphis in 1992, Rachel came on as director. She, along with one volunteer, ran the show. Twenty years later, the office now has seven staff members and has provided professional development and resources for 2,500 area teachers. Over 500 schools in the region use the Facing History program and 111,900 middle and high school students throughout Tennessee have received Facing History instruction.

“To me this award is an acknowledgement of the important work of Facing History and Ourselves,” Shankman said. “The impact of the way Facing History deals with race relations is quite unique and transformative, from our scholarly approach, to our resources such as Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement, to the support we provide educators trying to bring this discussion into their classrooms.”

“Ruby [Wharton] and her family are representative of those who recognize Rachel for her dedication to a great Memphis and for her truly outstanding career dedicated to convening conversations about how we live together respectfully as we work to strengthen our schools, neighborhoods, city, nation, and world,” said Margot Stern Strom, Facing History’s co-founder and executive director and a Memphis native. “I am honored to be Rachel’s friend and to have her leadership for Memphis and in Facing History and Ourselves worldwide.”

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Learn more about our work in Memphis.

Read "Mayor Wharton And Wife Host Talk And Tea,” an article from Memphis television station WREG.

Facing History's Julia Rappaport wrote this article. For questions or tips on what Facing History is doing in your community, email her at Julia_Rappaport@facing.org.

Director of Memphis Office Receives Award for Outstanding Woman in Race Relations

EmilyBlackie — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:51:36 +0000

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Web Update

February 3, 2012

Rachel Shankman, director of the Facing History and Ourselves Memphis office, was honored as a 2012 Ruby R. Wharton Outstanding Woman for her significant contributions to the Greater Memphis community in the area of race relations.

Memphis mayor A C Wharton, Jr. and his wife, Ruby, established the award in 2005 to recognize exceptional women who have worked to improve the quality of life for others and made significant strides in the following areas: Early childhood, Youth & Delinquency, Race Relations, Women’s Rights, and Business/Politics/Government. Mayor Wharton will present the award at a ceremony at City Hall on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Learn more about our work in Memphis.

Harvard Law Professor and Facing History Board Member Speaks in Memphis

EmilyBlackie — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:18:49 +0000

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In the News

February 9, 2012

Harvard Law School professor and Facing History and Ourselves New England Advisory Board member Robert Mnookin spoke with Facing History students at White Station High School and with community members in Memphis, Tennessee, this week in a series of free conversations co-sponsored by Facing History. A leader in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution, Mnookin fielded questions on topics ranging from local school reform to foreign affairs.

“Imagine a world where most people, in fact, sometimes are collaborative and sometimes are adversarial,” Mnookin said, according to an article about the appearances that ran in the Daily News. “And they say what it’s going to depend on is how the other side behaves. That means your behavior, if you are prepared to be a leader, can really influence their approach to negotiation.”

Mnookin, the author most recently of Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight, spoke on February 7 at Rhodes College and on February 8 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

Read the article “When to Fight” by Bill Dries in the Daily News.

Learn more about our work in Memphis.

Noted Author, Professor, and Facing History Board Member to Speak in Memphis, TN

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:12:02 +0000

press_type:

In the News

February 7, 2012

Facing History and Ourselves New England Advisory Board member and Harvard Law School professor, Robert H. Mnookin will speak at two free community events in Memphis, Tennessee, this week. A leader in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution, Mnookin is the Director of the Harvard Negotiation Research Project and has taught numerous workshops for corporations, governmental agencies, and law firms throughout the world. His most recent book, Bargaining with the Devil: When to negotiate, When to Fight, explores the challenge of making critical decisions. Mnookin will appear Tuesday, February 7, at Rhodes College and on Wednesday, February 8, at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Both events are co-sponsored by Rhodes College, the University of Memphis Law School, and Facing History.

Read more about these events in the Commercial Appeal.

Learn more about our work in Memphis.

Facing History Teacher Draws from Classroom Experience in New Novel

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:01:03 +0000

press_type:

In the News

February 1, 2012

Lynn Murphy, a former Facing History and Ourselves teacher and past Margot Stern Strom Teaching Award-winner has come out with a new novel – and she credits Facing History with providing some of her inspiration.

The Time Of My Life tells the story of an African-American teenager growing up in a poor community who finds inner strength through running. Murphy, who taught in Tennessee’s Shelby County school system, drew from her experiences in the classroom when writing the book. “I taught many students…who were at risk for dropping out of school or getting involved in gangs,” Murphy told The Citizen News. “I also saw how finding just one thing they were really interested in, whether it was sports, or music or the arts, could keep them from going that way.”

“In The Time Of My Life, there are two characters who both love the sport of running, but who come from very different backgrounds. The message is that they learn to look past the differences and find a relationship where they can help each other,” she continued. “The principles [Facing History teaches] apply to all areas where differences separate people.”

Read the article "Peachtree City Resident Publishes New Novel," in The Citizen News.

Learn more about our work in Memphis, TN, and the surrounding area.

Watch Facing History’s latest video about our work in Urban Education.

Urban Education and Facing History: Douglass High School in Memphis

EvaRadding — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:45:26 +0000

Video details

In Memphis, Tennessee, students at city schools experience extraordinary moments of reflection through a unique Facing History elective. Through course work that fosters academic rigor, critical thinking, and writing skills, students create powerful connections between their own lives and the choices people have made at critical moments in history.

Despite a challenging social and economic environment, students in these classes continually demonstrate their resilience, says Steve Becton, Facing History's Senior Associate for Urban Education and Organizational Initiatives. Through the Facing History experience, these young people become engaged and energized as they realize their ability to impact their school and their community. As a teacher, Becton says: "It's exciting to watch them get it."

Library

Video length:

3 min 39 sec

Other location:

Memphis, TN

Speaker name:

Becton, Steven

Not available for borrowing

Short post

'Wednesdays in Mississippi' on WREG-CBS in Memphis

EmilyBlackie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:29:02 +0000

press_type:

In the News

October 20, 2011

Stars from the new film Wednesdays in Mississippi appeared on a local Memphis, Tennessee, television station following a screening of the documentary at the city’s Brooks Museum. Co-producer and director Marlene McCurtis joined Susan Goodwillie Stedman and Josie Johnson for a segment on WREG-CBS to discuss the film, shown in conjunction with Facing History and Ourselves’ Choosing to Participate traveling exhibit, on display September 6 through November 6, 2011, at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

Wednesdays in Mississippi tells the story of the dozens of upper- and middle-class Northern black and white women who traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, during the summers of 1964 and 1965. The women left the North on Tuesday nights only to return to their homes on Thursdays in order to build support for the civil rights movement.

“It was a story about middle class women, middle age women, black, white, Jewish, Christian, coming together, across differences and trying to make a difference,” McCurtis told WREG-CBS. “I thought that was a wonderful kind of beacon and a wonderful story to tell.”

Click here to watch the full interview.

Learn more about our Community Conversation series, in partnership with The Allstate Foundation.

Learn more about our work in Memphis.

'Wednesdays in Mississippi' in Memphis

EvaRadding — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:26:58 +0000

Video details

Stars from the film Wednesdays in Mississippi appeared on a local Memphis, Tennessee, television station. Co-producer and director Marlene McCurtis joined Susan Goodwillie Stedman and Josie Johnson for a segment on WREG-CBS to discuss the film, shown in conjunction with Facing History and Ourselves’ Choosing to Participate traveling exhibit, on display September 6 through November 6, 2011, at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

Wednesdays in Mississippi tells the story of the dozens of upper- and middle-class Northern black and white women who traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, during the summers of 1964 and 1965. The women left the North on Tuesday nights only to return to their homes on Thursdays in order to build support for the civil rights movement.

Library

Video length:

6 min 22 sec

Date filmed:

Oct 22 2011

Not available for borrowing

Short post