BOISE, Idaho — Boise has the only Anne Frank Memorial in the United States, it was built and is managed by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights.
The memorial gives people a place to reflect, but it also provides historical context in the fight for human rights in Idaho and around the world.
The Marilyn Shuler Classroom at the memorial has a kiosk where people can watch videos about the struggle different ethnic groups have experienced in Idaho.
"How do we learn from the past to create the safeguard for the future?" asked Dan Prinzing, the executive director of the Wassmuth Center. "It provides context, George Floyd did not die in isolation it is born out of a history, and so we need to understand that history to fully appreciate the impact of the moment."
Boise experienced one of those moments on Tuesday night when thousands peacefully demonstrated on the steps of the capitol and stood together in solidarity to support Black Lives Matter.
"What a powerful symbol when so many people in the community came together to show their support, but that is just the beginning," said Prinzing.
It's a lesson and a point the Wassmuth Center wants to drive home, the fight for human rights never ends, and now it's not about what happened on Tuesday, but what happens moving forward.
"That is our call to action if we believe in inclusion, if we believe sincerely that everybody is welcome here then we have to make sure that not only is there not only room for people at the table, that they get an active role in speaking to the table and that we listen," said Prinzing.
The Wassmuth Center for Human Rights makes it their mission to recognize the faces and the voices of our community to discover what can bring people together.
