History is crucial to democracy, historian Howard Zinn pointed out to Bill Moyers: "I think the more people learn about the past I think the more that they will understand that it is possible for people to change the world."
During the course, we will examine primary source documents and speeches by people who helped shape history with their public presentations of their self in public speech acts (incl. song, art, dance or other).
The idea came before I found Howard Zinn's The People Speak DVD. But it was as if it was sent to me as a source we could use.
WATCH THIS! Check out the 2009 piece on Howard Zinn on Bill Moyers Journal here. Here is the intro to the segment. Make sure you WATCH the piece with Howard Zinn for context on who he was and what he stood for.
December 11, 2009
Howard Zinn died at the age of 87 on January 27, 2010
"They're willing to let people think about mild reforms and little changes, and incremental changes, but they don't want people to think that we could actually transform this country."
Howard Zinn has long been known as the historian of the American everyman and woman. His groundbreaking work, THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, turned history on its head — concentrating on the power of the people to effect change, not just the deeds of great men and those in political power.
Now selections from his collection of voices from the American past are performed by actors, poets and writers in a new documentary directed by Matt Damon which is airing on The History Channel. Find out more about some of those voices below, and delve further into American history through the JOURNAL's coverage of American history on-air and online.
The idea came before I found Howard Zinn's The People Speak DVD. But it was as if it was sent to me as a source we could use.
WATCH THIS! Check out the 2009 piece on Howard Zinn on Bill Moyers Journal here. Here is the intro to the segment. Make sure you WATCH the piece with Howard Zinn for context on who he was and what he stood for.
December 11, 2009
Howard Zinn died at the age of 87 on January 27, 2010
"They're willing to let people think about mild reforms and little changes, and incremental changes, but they don't want people to think that we could actually transform this country."
Howard Zinn has long been known as the historian of the American everyman and woman. His groundbreaking work, THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, turned history on its head — concentrating on the power of the people to effect change, not just the deeds of great men and those in political power.
Now selections from his collection of voices from the American past are performed by actors, poets and writers in a new documentary directed by Matt Damon which is airing on The History Channel. Find out more about some of those voices below, and delve further into American history through the JOURNAL's coverage of American history on-air and online.
- "Ain't I a Woman?" Sojourner Truth (1851)
- The Rev. J. W. Loguen, as a Slave and as a Freeman. "A Narrative of Real Life"(1860)
- Mark Twain, "Comments on the Moro Massacre" (1906)
- Industrial Workers of the World, "Why the IWW is not Patriotic to the United States" (1918)
- Langston Hughes, "Ballad of Roosevelt" (1934)
- Dalton Trumbo, "Johnny Got His Gun" (1939)
- Daniel Ellsberg; "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers" (2003)
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