American historian, author, playwright & extraordinary humanitarian, Howard Zinn, 87, died last week – 27 Jan 2010.

Relatively little was made of it, though that in itself brings to the fore the quest of a great man and his life’s work. To open our eyes to what has passed and what continues to occur, so we – the everyday people, can develop the ability to question and make a stand for what we think and know is right.

As Zinn said: “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

Some Howard Zinn Tributes

I met Howard Zinn in 1961, my first year at Spelman College in Atlanta…

Under the direction of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) many students at Spelman joined the effort to desegregate Atlanta. Naturally, I joined this movement. Howie, taller than most of us, was constantly in our midst, and usually somewhere in front. Because I was at Spelman on scholarship, a scholarship that would be revoked if I were jailed, my participation caused me a good bit of anxiety. Still, knowing that Howard and others of our professors, the amazingly courageous and generous Staughton Lynd, for instance, my other history teacher, supported the students in our struggle, made it possible to carry on. But then, while he and his family were away from campus for the summer, Howard Zinn was fired. He was fired for “insubordination”. Yes, he would later say, with a classic Howie shrug, I was guilty. – Alice Walker – The Boston Globe

I had lunch with Howard Zinn just a few weeks ago, and I’ve seldom had more fun while talking about so many matters that were unreservedly unpleasant: the sorry state of government and politics in the U.S., the tragic futility of our escalation in Afghanistan, the plight of working people in an economy rigged to benefit the rich and powerful.

Mr. Zinn could talk about all of that and more without losing his sense of humor. He was a historian with a big, engaging smile that seemed ever-present. His death this week at the age of 87 was a loss that should have drawn much more attention from a press corps that spends an inordinate amount of its time obsessing idiotically over the likes of Tiger Woods and John Edwards. – Bob Herbert, New York Times

The great Howard Zinn’s death has the ominous feeling of bringing too close the end of an era when some western intellectuals had the magnetism of rock stars, and when their ethical and principled stand against the dominant powers of the moment moved millions to see things differently, and to act. – Victoria Brittain, The Guardian

I can’t think of anyone who had such a powerful and benign influence, his historical work changed the way millions of people saw the past. – Naom Chomsky

How I Discovered Howard Zinn

I lived in Jersey City and worked in New York City for about five years, from 1996 – 2000. For those who are new to my blog, the World Trade Center was “my” Path/work stop . I left  before 9/11 and have not returned since.

When I first arrived in downtown Manhattan, was overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity – thanks to my love of movies – which freaked me out and saw me seeking refuge in my first ever diner, not far from a swish deli called Balducci’s which I am aware no longer exists.

On an adjacent table, spotted a cute middle-aged professor-type, ordering himself a serve of bacon and eggs “sunny side up” – at four in the afternoon. I did the same and proceeded to make small talk with him. It turns out he was indeed a professor, a history professor – at NYU -and so I took the opportunity to ask him for a good introductory read to America and its history.

He scribbled a list on the back of napkin which I took with a tinge of reluctance. I needed some background knowledge of the country I was about to spend some years in. Not a bloody PHD . I guess he read my mind… “If I had to pick one, it would be this,” he smiled as he pointed to Howard Zinn’s A People\’s History Of The United States

At Strand Book Store on Broadway – “18 miles of books: new, used & rare” – I opened the first page, expecting some dry academic account of Columbus’ grand expedition, the Declaration of Independence and so and so forth.

I got this instead:

Chapter 1: Columbus, The Indians & The Human Progress

Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto the island’s beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange big boat. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought them food, water, gifts. He later wrote of this in his log:

They … brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned… . They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features…. They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane… . They would make fine servants…. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.These Arawaks of the Bahama Islands were much like Indians on the mainland, who were remarkable (European observers were to say again and again) for their hospitality, their belief in sharing. These traits did not stand out in the Europe of the Renaissance, dominated as it was by the religion of popes, the government of kings, the frenzy for money that marked Western civilization and its first messenger to the Americas, Christopher Columbus.

Columbus wrote:

As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts.The information that Columbus wanted most was: Where is the gold? He had persuaded the king and queen of Spain to finance an expedition to the lands, the wealth, he expected would be on the other side of the Atlantic-the Indies and Asia, gold and spices. For, like other informed people of his time, he knew the world was round and he could sail west in order to get to the Far East.

I attended a public primary school in the center of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – which has in the past decade been demolished and replaced with yet another shopping mall. Here, like in millions of classrooms, we were taught Columbus discovered the earth was round. And he alone discovered America. Nobody funded his journey. He never treated the Indians like slaves. He wasn’t after gold. He was a hero. A pioneer. A brave explorer. WTF?

Skipped a few chapters and flicked ahead. It got better…

Chapter 4, Tyranny is Tyranny

Around 1776, certain important people in the English colonies made a discovery that would prove enormously useful for the next two hundred years. They found that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from favorites of the British Empire. In the process, they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for the rule of a new, privileged leadership.

When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius, and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries. They created the most effective system of national control devised in modern times, and showed future generations of leaders the advantages of combining paternalism with command.

First, Columbus is a greedy asshole. Now, the Founding Fathers are macho control freaks? Rifling through  several more chapters, I discover  the struggles of farmers, workers and everyday people – people I’d never heard of – and… Theodore Roosevelt’s lust for blood? Geez. What the hell book did this professor recommend me? And damn did I wish I had taken down his contact details.

I skipped towards the end…

Chapter 16: A People’s War

Would the behavior of the United States during the war-in military action abroad, in treatment of minorities at home-be in keeping with a “people’s war”? Would the country’s wartime policies respect the rights of ordinary people everywhere to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? And would postwar America, in its policies at home and overseas, exemplify the values for which the war was supposed to have been fought?

These questions deserve thought. At the time of World War II, the atmosphere was too dense with war fervor to permit them to be aired.

For the United States to step forward as a defender of helpless countries matched its image in American high school history textbooks, but not its record in world affairs. It had opposed the Haitian revolution for independence from France at the start of the nineteenth century. It had instigated a war with Mexico and taken half of that country. It had pretended to help Cuba win freedom from Spain, and then planted itself in Cuba with a military base, investments, and rights of intervention. It had seized Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and fought a brutal war to subjugate the Filipinos. It had “opened” Japan to its trade with gunboats and threats. It had declared an Open Door Policy in China as a means of assuring that the United States would have opportunities equal to other imperial powers in exploiting China. It had sent troops to Peking with other nations, to assert Western supremacy in China, and kept them there for over thirty years.

I had never read a history book like this.

I bought my second-hand copy in a daze, read it on the Path train and became so engrossed, I missed my stop and ended up in Journal Square and had to catch the train back again.

A People’s History Of United States opened a can of worms in my socially, intellectually and historically-challenged head. And I can say with certainty it changed the way I viewed the world and was to date the most important book I had ever read. It also proved to be an interesting gauge of the company in which I found myself in time to come.

While some regarded the book a classic and held it in the highest esteem, others were appalled that I had been pointed to it – by a professor no less – as an introduction to the history of their country. “That radical propaganda? It ain’t history, it’s bullshit!”

A People’s History of United States – which sold almost two million copies – led me to another book The History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin which also became one of my favorite historical reads. I believe it is these two books that have been most responsible for helping me rethink history and define what I stand for and how I will stand for it.  In writing, in work, in life.

On December 13, 2009, The People Speak - a documentary feature film narrated by Howard Zinn and based on his books A People’s History of the United States and, with Anthony Arnove, Voices of a People’s History – aired on The History Channel.

Produced by  Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Chris Moore, Anthony Arnove, and Howard Zinn, the film comprised a collection of dramatic and musical performances of letters, diaries and speeches of everyday people who spoke up for change throughout U.S. history. It featured performances by Brolin, Damon, Rosario Dawson, Bob Dylan, Sandra Oh, Viggo Mortensen, Bruce Springsteen, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Washington, amongst many others.

Some Of My Favorite Howard Zinn Quotes

Rest In Peace Howard