A junior high class in Prosper, Texas, north of Dallas, decided that victims of the Rwandan genocide needed a memorial. On April 6, 1994, the Rwandan presidential plane was shot down, marking the beginning of the genocide. Brutal slaughters continued for 100 days. Nearly one million innocent men, women, and children died. To this day, their only memorial is a church where thousands were murdered, and where their bones still lie today.
On April 6, 2010, The Rogers Middle School Gifted and Talented Class launched a website memorializing the Rwandan victims. Two students from the class, Alyssa Yates and Sydney Scott, were winners in the art division in the 2010 Yom Hashoah Statewide Art, Writing and Video contest, sponsored by the Museum, along with the El Paso Holocaust Museum & Study Center and Holocaust Museum Houston. These young people want to change the way everyone views hate and tolerance. With enough determination and hard work, there’s no stopping them. You may visit the site here.
