Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington forged one of the earliest collaborations between Jews and African Americans to create schools throughout the nation for black children who had no access to publicly funded education. From 1912 to 1937, the Rosenwald schools program built 4,978 schools for African American children across fifteen southern and border states.

On October 21, 2021, at 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights will host a virtual conversation, The Writing on the Rosenwald: The Dahmer Family Story to explore the story of the Dahmer family and their connection to the civil rights movement and Rosenwald Schools. The temporary exhibition A Better Life for Their Children: Photography by Andrew Feiler will provide context for this conversation and feature Feiler and photographer Dennis Dahmer, son of slain activist Vernon Dahmer and owner of a Rosenwald School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. This conversation will be moderated by John Spann, Program & Outreach Officer for the Mississippi Humanities Council.