R.I.P.
Howard Zinn, teacher, historian, activist, author, and bowl of awesome died today of a heart attack today. He was 87. Most known for writing A People’s History of the United States, Zinn dedicated his life to political activism (including the Vietnam and Iraq anti-war movements) and was heavily involved in the civil rights movement. As a a tenured professor at Spelman College (a historically black liberal arts college for women in Atlanta, Georgia) in 1963, he acted as an adviser to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (famous for its involvement in the freedom rides, sit-ins and the 1963 March On Washington) and mentored student activists, including Alice Walker.
If you have never read A People’s History of the United States, you really ought to. Like, right now. Essentially, it is an American history textbook, but told from the points of view of those groups often ignored in “traditional” history books (slaves, Native Americans, women, etc.). I couldn’t possibly do justice to the brilliance of the book with a bare-bones synopsis, so I will simply encourage you to read it.
The book (along with Zinn’s companion book published in 2004, Voices of a People’s History of the United States) inspired a documentary entitled The People Speak which was released on the History Channel this past December. The documentary includes performances by Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin, Danny Glover, Marisa Tomei, Don Cheadle, and Sandra Oh. The soundtrack for the film features Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Lupe Fiasco, Pink, Eddie Vedder. A pretty impressive roster, don’t you think?
And not to sully the passing of this great man, but if you needed any more evidence that Perez Hilton is one of the biggest douches in the blogosphere, here’s what Perez had to say back in December about Matt Damon’s involvement with the documentary:
Matt Damon has taken Howard Zinn’s followup novel to A People’s History of the United States, (a book favorited by his Good Will Hunting character) and has turned it into a star-studded history lesson. He has enlisted some of his friends to perform readings from the book, Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Maybe it’s easier to learn about boring shiz from pretty people!
Right. Because book learnin’ about, like, history and disenfranchised peeples and shiz is totes boring. Seriously, Perez? You’re a blight on humanity. Maybe less semen painting and more book learning would do your mind-head some good.
RIP, Mr. Zinn. You will be missed.
I’m embarassed to say that I have never heard of this book. And I thought that I was marginally well-read. Ok, one more book to add to the pile on the nightstand.
read it! it’s amazing. :)
My dad’s been yelling at me to read “A People’s History…” my entire life. I never have because he was the one yelling at me about it. Now I’m feeling like an asshole and will go to the library forthwith to get it.
your dad is awesome. and you must read it. RIGHT NOW!