Finding Howard:
The Legacy of a Song
Finding Howard: The Legacy of a Song is a documentary film about empathy, forgiveness, and hope. Through inspiring conversations with educators, community leaders, activists, and scholars, as well as deeply touching letters written by children across the US and Canada, Finding Howard: The Legacy of a Song tells the story of how a song and the work in schools it inspired can be a model for creating communities of belonging and safety for all.
As an educator, I had been in search of ways to create learning experiences about empathy and caring that were both memorable and hopeful. Upon hearing the song Howard Gray for the first time in 1987, I knew I had found what I had been looking for. Written by Lee Domann, Howard Gray tells the true story of how he, as a young boy, stood by as a classmate was harassed and bullied. Two weeks after first hearing the song, I had my students round up the chairs in our classroom, and I sang them Howard Gray. Those kids had many questions such as: Why did they treat Howard that way? Why did Lee remain silent? Whatever happened to Howard? The next day, one of my colleagues asked if I could sing it for her class and the “Howard Gray Experience” was born. I have been singing Howard Gray and using its lyrics to spark conversations about empathy with students all over the country ever since.
Our film, Finding Howard: The Legacy of a Song, is a call to action for the creation of caring and compassionate communities where children feel safe, understood and listened to.
David Levine
Founder & Executive Director
Teaching Empathy Institute
Stone Ridge, NY
the trailer
our cast
Sharon Ball is a former senior editor at NPR in Washington, D.C. and a retired executive director of the Broome County Arts Council in Binghamton, NY. She won numerous awards in both roles and currently is a trustee for two Binghamton area non-profit organizations. In her youth, she served on the White House staff during the Carter Administration, sang professionally with American bands in the Far East and hosted radio programs on U-S military stations there. Sharon lives in Whitney Point, NY with husband J. W. Johnston, a fine art photographer and educator, and their cat Miss Kitty.
Sharon Ball
Cathy Barnett is a life long resident of Oskaloosa, Kansas and childhood friend of Lee Domann. She is the owner and operator of Cathy’s Style Shop in Oskaloosa Kansas.
Cathy Barnett
Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a Professor in the Child Study Center of Yale University. He is the lead developer of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by nearly 2,000 pre-K through high schools across the United States and in other countries. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
Marc Brackett
Dr. Chelsea Brown is the Assistant Principal of Northport Middle School. She is a lifelong resident of Northport, NY.
Chelsea Brown
Nina Dawson is the Human Rights Commissioner and Youth Bureau Director in Ulster County New York. Based in Kingston, New York, she passionately strives to impact the lives of youth who live in areas of disparity through program funding. In her work, Nina engages with youth to discuss economic, social and mental issues that affect their lives.
Nina Dawson
Lee Domann is a songwriter, storyteller, and modern-day troubadour. He has recorded seven solo albums in his 35 year career. His songs have been recorded by a variety of artists, including Kathy Mattea, Riders in the Sky, Mark Lowry, and John Allan Cameron. His music is eclectic, embracing the roots of Celtic, folk, gospel, country and he plays in a variety of settings and regions. He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife Norma and their dog, Conrad.
Lee Domann
Dr. Timothy Hoss is the school building administrator at Northport School District.
Tim Hoss
Terry Linn Ray-Kruse is the daughter of Howard Ray. She lives in Lincoln, Kansas.
Terry Linn Ray-Kruse
Scarlett Lewis is a mother, an artist, an avid horsewoman, and a new activist for peace. She is the founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation, created in honor of her son who was murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in December 2012
Scarlett Lewis
Wanda LoBianco is the Principal of George Washington Elementary School in Kingston, NY.
Wanda LoBianco
Donny Mapes is a Mentor for young African American youth in Kingston and Ellenville, NY for the Obama Foundation Initiative, My Brother’s Keeper. He is also singer/songwriter in Kingston, NY.
Donny Mapes
LeShawn Parker is a lifelong resident of Kingston, NY. He is Director of Safety and Prevention for Kingston City Schools in Kingston, NY.
LeShawn Parker
Howard Ray, an elementary school classmate of Lee Domann, was the inspiration for the song “Howard Gray” and was father to Terry Ray-Kruse.
Howard Ray
Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl is the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Kimberly Schonert-Reichl
movie screenshots
