Howard Zinn’s Undying Faith in Democracy

[deutsey]

My tribute to Zinn, posted on a local blog I write for:


You may know Zinn from a book he wrote in 1980 called A People’s History of the United States. With over 1 million copies sold since its publication, this landmark (and controversial) volume retells American history from the point of view of “common people” often not included in our official historical narrative—Native Americans, slaves, workers, the poor, women, pacifists, anarchists, unionizers.

Last month, the History Channel broadcast “The People Speak”, a documentary co-produced, incidentally, by Easton native Chris Moore and his friend, actor Matt Damon. With Zinn narrating, the film featured the likes of Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tormei, and Bruce Springsteen reading and singing words from the original letters, songs, diaries, and speeches that Zinn used to write A People’s History and other works. (http://www.history.com/content/people-speak)

Coming from a working-class background myself, I am forever in debt to Zinn for showing me how this often marginalized group is actually an integral strand among many other strands that together make up our national history. His inclusive view of American identity is true to our country’s unofficial motto, E pluribus unum: “Out of many, one.”

I don’t know what Zinn’s personal religious views were, but based on his passionate dedication to a real flesh-and-blood form of democracy (as opposed to one that is lifeless and abstract), I suspect he would have felt at home in most Unitarian Universalist congregations.

Among the principles that this diverse, liberal-minded denomination (to which I belong) promotes is “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” (http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml)

Throughout his life and writings, Zinn was the living, breathing embodiment of this principle.

MORE:
http://midshorelife.com/content/howard-zinns-undying-faith-democracy

[Octafish]

1. Working people are why America is great.

It wasn't "trickle-down." The middle class was built through hard work.

Thank you for a great essay on a true democrat, deutsey. K&R.