Woodruff: A Lesson of Non-Violence

Produced by our own Anncha Briggs and directed by Ron Bloom.

Synopsis: Woodruff, the oldest standing school in the Little Rock district, constructed in 1917, was becoming an “inner city” school and gangs began to infiltrate the neighborhood, so the principal and teachers had to think about providing a safe atmosphere for their students. They called an all-school meeting and out of that meeting grew a culture that valued respect for each other and peaceful resolution of conflicts. In fact, they erected a sign that announced each day how many days had gone by without a fight. From that day on, students learned to “attack the problem, not the person.”

Students and teachers have been counting fight-free days since 1989 and are always sad when a record is broken. Young lives have been changed forever with their newly acquired skills to resolve conflicts and accept differences.

The video ends with the whole school enjoying a picnic at a riverside park after walking across the Big Dam Bridge over the Arkansas River in celebration of their last 300 days of going without a fight.

Request DVD: You may purchase the DVD of this film directly from this StoryTeller/Producer: Anncha Briggs, 701 Hall Dr., Little Rock, AR 72205. Price: $13 (includes postage and handling)