PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — Anita Lewis and Gwendolyn Ebron are making Black history of their own, following a 33-hour teaching marathon.
The two longtime educators met thanks to an organization called ‘Urban Intellectuals,’ which is dedicated to teaching Black history.
Ebron, a Philadelphia-based teacher with Urban Intellectuals, recalls a phone call she got from Lewis.
Lewis, who is based in Friendswood, Texas, was looking for her next bold accomplishment following her doctorate.
She decided she wanted to break the Guinness World Record for specifically the ‘Longest History Lesson.’
The current record is 26 hours and 34 minutes, achieved by Andrew Torget in Denton, Texas, in 2018. That lesson was focused on Texas history.
After teaming up, Ebron and Lewis spent months planning a 33-hour lesson focused on Black history.
And they say it still wasn’t enough time to cover it all.
Their teaching marathon took place on February 27th and February 28th, 2026, at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Cheltenham Avenue. It was well-attended and also livestreamed online by Urban Intellectuals.
They must now submit all their evidence to Guinness World Records for verification. As of now, it remains an attempt at a world record.
But for Ebron and Lewis, the real prize would be inspiring students young and old to recognize their potential and pass these lessons forward.
Watch the video above to see their story in action.
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