About the Film
The Ciesla Foundation is dedicated to producing documentaries with an uplifting social and historical message about unsung Jewish heroes. Our newest film project is Rosenwald, a documentary on the incredible story of how businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald joined with African-American communities in the South to build schools for them during the early part of the 20th century. This historical partnership as well as the modern-day attempts to maintain or reconfigure the schools is a great dramatic story, yet too little-known.
Rosenwald Film Bonus: Teaching Guide
From the Blog
Though Rosenwald’s story is more than 100 years old, his lasting legacy is felt today. It amazes us to see the impact his philanthropy has had on generations of Americans.
John Lewis: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation
Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.
‘We refuse to let people forget’: In Virginia, a push to remember historically black high schools before they disappear
The Washington Post reported on movements in Virginia and Maryland to remember historically black high schools.One group is campaigning for a national park to honor Rosenwald...
Juneteenth and Questioning a President’s Legacy
Today we celebrate Juneteenth, the anniversary of Union Army General, Gordon Granger, announcing that all enslaved people in Texas were free. Texas was the most remote, and the last, state in the Confederacy to officially receive the news. In honor of the holiday, a...
A National Park for Julius Rosenwald, Rosenwald Schools Updating, and a Pi Day to Remember
A bill authored by House Democratic Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Danny Davis of Illinois (who is interviewed in Rosenwald) would establish a national park to honor Julius Rosenwald, the philanthropist who established schools throughout the South to remedy the afflictions of segregation. This week the Natural Resources Committee advanced the bill.
Rosenwald schools: How black Southerners worked to close the education gap in the Jim Crow era
This month, The Washington Examiner published a historical account of the of education among African Americans, highlighting the role that Rosenwald schools...