VIDEO: Clayton Teacher Tells How to Make Violence Fade

Donna Rogers-Beard remembers a time when her parents avoided stopping as they traveled through the South. But she also remembers being able to get service at a restaurant for the first time after the U.S. took legal measures to end segregation.

The server who asked, "May I help you?" was the same person who, only a couple of weeks earlier, would have denied service to Rogers-Beard, who is black.

The account underscores one of the main points in a lecture given Thursday afternoon by the (CHS) history teacher. In her talk—which kicked off the new WOW (Words of Wisdom) Speaker Series—she provided evidence that global violence and intolerance have declined with time, attributed that trend to education and urged listeners to continue that trajectory.

A crowd of about 150 students and adults packed the auditorium for the lecture.

Rogers-Beard indicated Clayton students are well-positioned to lead in a world where some people want the U.S. to pull out of the United Nations and close the Department of Education.

"Many in celebrate the value of broadening educational opportunity and value diversity," Rogers-Beard said in her remarks. She spoke favorably of work by the high school's and its parent teacher organization, which brought the to the school.

Rogers-Beard said after the presentation that she initially intended to tell students how they can use history to solve problems, as is done with science and math. But she adapted her talk after reading about Steven Pinker's book Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined in The New York Times.

At the high school, she said, there is mutual respect in the classroom, and students profit because they care about their reputation and grades. Staff members take annual sensitivity training. And history has proven that "even the mighty" can be brought down for misconduct.

Organizations such as UNICEF are making efforts to reduce violence, she said, and books such as Uncle Tom's Cabin, Oliver Twist, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Nickel and Dimed have worked to broaden perspectives.

"We have expanded the sphere of our moral concern," Rogers-Beard said.

She questioned a recent comment by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain about wealth, commenting that the U.S. needs not only the rich but also people who can clean rooms and pick fruit.

At the same time, Rogers-Beard said, the world has made much progress in its history.

Nonetheless, "yours will not be an easy task," she told the audience. The U.S. leads the world in incarceration, and more needs to be done to reduce the dropout rate among high school students.

"If we want to continue to live in a continuing safer world, these statistics have to improve," she said. She later added: "You are going to have to become one of the great generations."

Zach Praiss developed the idea for the speaker series. The Clayton senior said several factors prompted him to pursue the idea, including the realization that he will be leaving in nine months and the desire to hear from teachers whose classes he's always wanted to take. The nonprofit TED, an online service that provides free lectures on various academic subjects, and Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture also provided inspiration.

"Since then, the idea has taken off," Praiss said.

He and other students developed a plan for the series. They took nominations from faculty and solicited votes from students using a Facebook poll.

Rogers-Beard knew she had a responsibility as the first speaker in the series and delivered what students who know her expect: a serious message.

"It was such an awesome, awesome honor," she said.