Explore and Learn

Visitors to Choosing to Participate will view:

A series of multimedia installations about people and communities whose stories illustrate the courage, initiative and compassion needed to protect democracy and human rights:

Little Things Are Big: Tells of a decision made on a late-night subway ride in New York City in the 1950s.

Crisis In Little Rock: Describes the way people in the Little Rock, Arkansas community responded to the integration of Central High School in 1957.

Not in Our Town: Tells of how individuals and groups in Billings, Montana reacted to a series of hate crimes in 1993.

Everyone Has a Story: Depicts the challenges faced by a young Cambodian refugee and people in his community as he struggled to build a new life in the United States.

You can also visit a variety of companion exhibitions including:

Upstanders: Portraits of Courage is a photographic exhibit highlighting 25 Greater Boston-area individuals and groups who were nominated for the ways they created change in their communities. Upstanders were selected by a distinguished panel.

pARTicipation: Young Artists Speak Up displays 25 powerful works of art that New England students created, showing their struggles, hopes and burgeoning sense of themselves as agents of change. A committee of educators, artists and community leaders selected the featured artwork.

Action Arts: Positive Change through Artistic Action was created by a group of students who used art and storytelling to explore social justice and their roles in society. Facing History partnered with Beacon Academy and master artist Chandra Dieppa Ortiz.

Please take a few minutes to explore the exhibition and learn more about what you will experience when you visit Choosing to Participate.