PREFACE

These lessons have been provided by the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust. These lessons are from the book The Holocaust:   A North Carolina Teacher’s Resource. For more information, please see the N.C. Council on the Holocaust webpage at.  

I am pleased to provide an introduction for The Holocaust: A North Carolina Teacher’s Resource, and to be able to offer my personal thoughts on the lessons we must learn and teach from this most tragic event.

We are living in a time when our children far too often are exposed to news broadcasts showing incidents of violence stemming from intolerance or hate. We must not allow such occurrences to become acceptable norms in our society. As educators, parents, and citizens we must work together to create a climate of cooperation, to reduce prejudice, and to assure equitable treatment for all. This guide is an excellent educational tool to help accomplish these goals.  

Citizenship and civic participation are cherished traditions in North Carolina. The teachers of our state work hard to instill in our students an appreciation and respect for these traditions. Students must learn the importance of strong character, honest public debate, and listening with respect to the opinions of others. Civic education for our students also emphasizes the responsibility that comes with citizenship. We must guard against the denial of legal or civil rights to any segment of society. I want North Carolina to be a leader in guaranteeing full and equal rights to all of its citizens. I want our students to speak out when they believe the civil rights of others have been abused and to recognize fully the dangers of failing to speak out against prejudice, discrimination, and intolerance.