History teacher Russell (left) posing near the banner in the hallway of Oberlin High School marking his being named Ohio Teacher of the Year. Photos: Mark Gillispie/AP
It hardly seems a stretch to say Kurt Russell was born to be a history teacher.
Raised on his mother's stories about segregation and the civil rights movement in Alabama, the United States, and influenced by teachers from his childhood, the 50-year-old Russell has spent the last 25 years teaching history and African-American history at Oberlin High School outside Cleveland.
