The Summer 2017 issue of Bostonia, the Boston University alumni magazine, features a profile of Zinn Education Project co-founder William Holtzman and the recent book drive undertaken in response to a proposed Zinn book ban in Arkansas.
On March 1, 2017, Arkansas Representative Kim Hendren (R) introduced Bill HB1834 to prohibit any publicly supported schools in Arkansas “from including in its curriculum or course materials any books or other material authored by or concerning Howard Zinn.”
In a Washington Post article on February 9, 2017, Fareed Zakaria compared Steve Bannon and Howard Zinn, concluding that, "In a strange way, Bannon’s dark, dystopian view of U.S. history is closest to that of Howard Zinn, a popular far-left scholar whose 'A People’s History of the United States' is a tale of the many ways in which 99 percent of Americans were crushed by the country’s all-powerful elites. In the Zinn/Bannon worldview, everyday people are simply pawns manipulated by their evil overlords." In response, two letters to the editor of the Washington Post were sent. The authors have given us permission to publish them here.
The third annual Howard Zinn Book Fair was held in San Francisco on December 4, 2016. Historian Carl Mirra shared with us a description of one of the sessions at the book fair. Mirra describes the panel “Making of a Radical Historian: Howard Zinn & War” where he was one of the presenters along with Ambre Ivol and Luke Stewart.
Nov. 22 marks the birthday of Staughton Lynd, longtime friend of Howard Zinn. They both taught at Spelman College and can be described as long-distance runners for justice.
"I have admired [Lynd] enormously ever since I first met him,” Zinn wrote shortly before his death, because he is an “exemplar of strength and gentleness in the quest for a better world." Read more about Lynd in this tribute by Andy Piascik.
“Howard’s calm, quiet insistence on doing what was right and taking a stand are lessons that have stayed with me for a lifetime.”
By David Detmer
"...his extraordinary gift for clear expression, perhaps the biggest factor leading to Zinn’s success as a teacher was his relaxed, friendly, good-humored, unthreatening manner. While he certainly offered a challenge to the beliefs of many of his students, which he accomplished by presenting ideas of deadly seriousness, he also did so with a light hand, and with plenty of wit and humor. He encouraged everyone, not only to participate in class discussions, but also to 'challenge authority' by disagreeing with him."
Actor and activist Jesse Williams, best known for his role on Grey’s Anatomy, won the BET Humanitarian Award on June 26, 2016. Williams, who read in the 2014 Voices Performance in Los Angeles, and serves on the board of the Advancement Project, is the son of public school teachers and a former U.S. history teacher (in Philadelphia) himself. He acknowledged the role of teachers and students learning history (outside the textbook) in his acceptance speech.
June 27 marks the birth of Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869–May 14, 1940), an anarchist who was an early advocate of free speech, birth control, women's equality and independence, and unions. After reading Richard Drinnon's biography of Emma Goldman, Rebel in Paradise, Howard Zinn read Goldman's autobiography, Living My Life. As a historian with a PhD, he was astonished he had never learned about Goldman in his studies. "Here was this magnificent woman, this anarchist, this feminist, fierce, life-loving person."
The 35th anniversary edition of A People’s History of the United States is now available featuring a new introduction by Anthony Arnove, Howard Zinn's long-time collaborator. Arnove begins, "Howard Zinn fundamentally changed the way millions of people think about history with A People’s History of the United States. He would be the first to say, however, that he didn’t do so alone. The book grew out of his awareness of the importance of social movements throughout U.S. history, some of which he played an active role in during the 1960s and 1970s and beyond..."
News
‘Bringing Zinn to Class’: Bostonia Features Zinn Education Project Cofounder and Arkansas Book Drive
Posted: July 14, 2017 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Articles & Interviews, Articles about Howard Zinn, In the News, News Tags: Boston University, Education, In the News, Zinn Education Project
Arkansas Bill Attempts to Ban Howard Zinn Books
Posted: March 22, 2017 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Articles & Interviews, Articles about Howard Zinn, In the News, News Tags: Book Ban, Zinn Education Project
Letters Refute Fareed Zakaria’s Claim: ‘Bannon’s view closest to Howard Zinn’
Posted: March 7, 2017 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Articles & Interviews, Articles about Howard Zinn, In the News, News
2016 Howard Zinn Book Fair
Posted: January 19, 2017 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Articles & Interviews, Articles about Howard Zinn, News Tags: Events
Staughton Lynd — “Long Distance Runner for Justice”
Posted: November 22, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Excerpts, News Tags: Spelman College, Staughton Lynd
“Howard Zinn, Our Favorite Teacher” Series — Suzanne Baker
Posted: September 13, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: News, Tributes Tags: Activism, Boston University, Student Activism, Zinn Education Project
“Howard Zinn, Our Favorite Teacher” Series — David Detmer
Posted: August 17, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
"...his extraordinary gift for clear expression, perhaps the biggest factor leading to Zinn’s success as a teacher was his relaxed, friendly, good-humored, unthreatening manner. While he certainly offered a challenge to the beliefs of many of his students, which he accomplished by presenting ideas of deadly seriousness, he also did so with a light hand, and with plenty of wit and humor. He encouraged everyone, not only to participate in class discussions, but also to 'challenge authority' by disagreeing with him."
Category: News, Tributes Tags: Boston University, Zinn Education Project
Jesse Williams Advocates Learning True History in BET Award Acceptance Speech
Posted: June 27, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: News
Commemorating Emma Goldman: ‘Living My Life’
Posted: June 14, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: Articles & Interviews, Articles about Howard Zinn, News Tags: Emma Goldman, Excerpts, Haymarket Affair, Labor
35th Anniversary Edition of A People’s History of the United States
Posted: January 25, 2016 by Howard Zinn Website
Category: News