The centerpiece of the initiative is a multi-media exhibit which will be situated at the Los Angeles Central Library, February 1–May 4, 2003. It highlights three compelling stories from our nation's recent history in which individuals and communities had choices to make about how they responded to hate and injustice. The three stories in the multi-media exhibition are "Little Things Are Big" about the choice a young Puerto Rican man made on a New York subway one evening; the decisions made by the people of Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 when 9 African American students integrated Central High School; and the responses of individuals and groups in Billings, Montana, to hate crimes in their community in the 1990s.

In addition to the traveling multi-media exhibit, there will be two local components, "LA Stories: The Power of One" an exhibit of local individuals whose actions have made a difference, and "Young Artists Speak Out," an exhibit of student art expressing the themes of participation.

Throughout the next year there will be opportunities for teachers to participate in workshops that introduce ways to use these themes and resources in the classroom. Included in the resources is a study guide. We are encouraging students to both nominate local heroes and submit artwork. These companion exhibits will be displayed at the Los Angeles Central library as well, and will then travel to other local venues.

School groups are encouraged to sign up for field trips to the exhibit. Tours will be lead by guides who have received special training in historical context and facilitation techniques to engage students in a discussion of what they are seeing, and to enrich the overall experience.

The exhibit and programming are free, and suitable for grades 6–12.

This exhibit has traveled to Boston, New York, Chicago and Memphis and has received tremendous media and community attention. It has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Memphis Commercial Appeal, and Chicago Tribune. The Today show and NPR have done feature stories about the exhibit.

Facing History encourages all interested private schools (grades 6–12) to participate in the program.

For more than 25 years, Facing History has engaged teachers and students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of collective violence, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives.

For more information:

Facing History web site

Choosing to Participate web site

Or, contact Marti Tippens, Manager of the Los Angeles-based "Choosing to Participate" Initiative at 626 744-1177 ext 25.