Askwith Education Forum: Combatting Hate by Teaching the Holocaust and Other Hard Histories

Watch a panel discussion that explores the power of personal narrative and personal identity as a tool for teaching and understanding history. Our discussion will be anchored by the new documentary Undeniable: The Truth to Remember — and it will feature Holocaust survivor Ruth Steinfeld and Houston high school teacher Laporche Abram, who are at the center of the film. Along with an educator-leader from Facing History and Ourselves, we’ll examine the ways in which teaching and learning history can help combat intolerance, hate, and bigotry. 

We invite you to watch Undeniable: The Truth to Remember in advance of this discussion. The documentary features five Holocaust survivors who share their remarkable stories with a diverse group of students from a Texas high school. The personal remembrances of these survivors, along with the dedicated work of their history teacher — grounded in the principles of being an upstander — lead these Texas teenagers on a journey of learning and discovery.

Speakers:

Laporche Abram, Social Studies teacher, Hastings High School, Houston, Texas
Daniel Braunfeld,  Associate Program Director, Special Projects, Facing History and Ourselves
Ruth Steinfeld, Holocaust survivor and educator with the Holocaust Museum Houston, French Legion of Honor awardee

Moderator:

Eric Shed, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Welcome:

Bridget Long, Dean and Saris Professor of Economics, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Tom Werner, Producer, Undeniable; Chairman, Boston Red Sox

Resources:

• Undeniable: The Truth To Remember
• The Hate We Can't Forget - A Holocaust Remembrance Special
• Fostering Civil Discourse: How Do We Talk About Issues That Matter?
• Teaching Current Events: Educator Guide
• Teaching Holocaust and Human Behavior
• Workshops and Professional Development

For more:

Read coverage of the event in the Harvard Gazette.