  | During lunch today, sixth-graders, Mr. Lee and I discussed the play "Anne and Emmett" that we saw on Saturday afternoon at the DuSable Museum of African American History. Overall, the reception of the play was very positive, with the students adding some interesting thoughts.
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- Another student explained how she wondered how the play would intertwine the lives of Anne Frank and Emmett Till, and was impressed with how the play did so through this setting known as Memory.
- Several other students were especially saddened by the gruesome death of Emmett Till, but touched by how his sacrifice helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. While I thought I knew a lot about Emmett's death, the detail in the play was frightening and truly disturbing, leaving me with an uncomfortable feeling all of Saturday night.
- As a group, we discussed how Anne's father and Emmett's mother never let the memory of Anne and Emmett fade by championing their children's lives and the issue of equality until the days they died.
- Mr. Lee and I wondered shared our concerns that the play was too graphic at points but came to the conclusion that history can sometimes be ugly and the truth needs to be told honestly. At points during the play, I felt like I had transitioned from a teacher to a parent, watching how the students reacted to some of the language and scenes in the play. I quickly came to the conclusion that these students were more than capable of handling such difficulties.
- I expressed my gratitude to the students for being so mature during the play. I felt very lucky to attend with such a great group of kids.
- In regards to why the play mattered, we came to the shared conclusion how prejudice, stereotypes and racism are never warranted, though still a big problem today; how we need to remember the past so that we can help make the present and future better, especially for those who are suffering; and to appreciate our differences in respectful ways.
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