“The Power of a Paper Clip” shares a Holocaust study conducted in Whitwell

Retired educators Linda Hooper and Sharon Shadrick join News 12’s Amelia Greer to preview the launch of their book based on the Holocaust.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A lesson on diversity turns into a massive, worldwide project that brings awareness of the Holocaust.

Linda Hooper, a retired teacher, started the “Paper Clips Project” in Whitwell, Tenn. after noticing her students, mostly Christian and white, were not fully prepared for engagement with people of different cultures. Hooper was introduced to the “Paper Clip Project” at a conference, which explained that Norwegians would wear a paper clip as a sign of protest during the Holocaust. Hooper brought the project to the school and got families involved as a learning opportunity on the Holocaust.

The project consisted of collecting paper clips, one paper clip for each soul who tragically perished during the Holocaust. The school stopped counting the paper clips at 30 million. The original goal was 11 million. The school now has a dedicated Children’s Holocaust Memorial which is open with requests for visitation.

Hooper brought her stories to Sharon Shadrick and the two worked together to write “The Power of a Paper Clip.”

The book is available online. It officially launches on November 21 at Whitwell Middle School at 4 P.M. CST and there will be 3 more additional events afterwards.

Event Schedule:

November 21 – Whitwell Middle School at 4 P.M. CST

December 2 – Jewish Community Center at 5:30 P.M. EST

December 5 – Sequatchie County Public Library at 5-6 P.M. CST

December 7 – Orena Humphrey Public Library at 11 AM-1 P.M. CST