The Crossroads Education and Outreach Program helps turn the lessons of the Emanuel Nine into action

The Crossroads Education and Outreach Program helps students, educators, community leaders, faith groups, and advocates turn the lessons of the Emanuel Nine into action. Through classroom resources, community conversations, and practical tools, the program invites people to confront hatred, build empathy, and choose a path rooted in grace, understanding, and common ground.

The program is built around four core pillars that make the families’ response meaningful for learning, dialogue, and community action:

— Acknowledgment: Learn the history honestly and recognize the harm caused by racism, hatred, and violence.
— Reconciliation: Create space for honest conversation, listening, and repair across lines of difference.
— Forgiveness: Explore the power of grace while honoring the complexity of grief, justice, and healing.
— Empowerment: Equip people to take meaningful action in their schools, organizations, congregations, and communities.

Together, these pillars guide educational resources and community dialogue that promote learning, empathy, respect, and action.

The curriculum is designed to help students, educators, and community leaders turn the lessons of the Emanuel Nine into practical action. Its focus areas include:

— Educating school-aged youth to challenge prejudice before it forms.
— Providing actionable resources to community leaders seeking to bridge racial divides. 
— Preserving the oral histories of the survivors and families as living educational assets.

We invite educators, community leaders, faith groups, advocates, and organizations to join the outreach network. Subscribe for updates, share the program with your community, or contact us to explore how the Crossroads curriculum can support dialogue and learning in your school, organization, congregation, or community.