howard zinn
GRITtv: The People Speak: Remembering Howard Zinn
Rebel historian Howard Zinn died a year ago, and we miss him more than ever. As Cairo erupts in protest, as Tunisia drives out its dictator, poet and GRITtv guest Staceyann Chin tweeted "The People Speak." Staceyann was one of many actors, artists, and activist performers who joined Howard for a performance of the pieces collected in his work by that name, inspired by his classic People's History of the United States. To remember Howard and to celebrate the people everywhere fighting for their rights, we bring you selections from the film The People Speak, featuring Staceyann Chin. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Email this pageGRITtv: Jan. 28, 2011
"Writing is nothing like dying in, for, and possibly with, your country," writes novelist and essayist Edwidge Danticat in her book Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work. But writing and creating can inspire action, whether it's revolution in the streets or simply managing to survive under seemingly hopeless circumstances.Edwidge was born in Haiti but moved to the US when she was twelve, and her writing focuses on both sides of the immigrant experience. She is also the editor of Haiti Noir, part of a crime noir series which ; looks at Haiti's dark side, and she joins Laura in studio to discuss the books, the ongoing state of Haiti, and the role of the immigrant and particularly the Haitian-American artist in the world.Rebel historian Howard Zinn died a year ago, and we miss him more than ever. As Cairo erupts in protest, as Tunisia drives out its dictator, poet and GRITtv guest Staceyann Chin tweeted "The People Speak." Staceyann was one of many actors, artists, and activist performers who joined Howard for a performance of the pieces collected in his work by that name, inspired by his classic People's History of the United States. To remember Howard and to celebrate the people everywhere fighting for their rights, we bring you selections from the film The People Speak , featuring Staceyann Chin.Wisconsin's new governor is charismatic, good-looking and pleasant, says John Nichols--and he's out to destroy government.
GRITtv: Chris Hedges: The Death of the Liberal Class
"We have a choice," says Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Chris Hedges. "You can either be complicit in your own enslavement or you can lead a life that has some kind of integrity and meaning."
GRITtv: Kathleen Chalfant: Wall Street Owns the Country
This past year, the History Channel produced The People Speak, a performance of many of the speeches and letters from American history that made up Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, and we could see that issues we grapple with now have been long-standing struggles for the people of this country. Not least of those struggles is the one with Wall Street, of course, and here we have former GRITtv guest Kathleen Chalfant performing a speech from over 100 years ago, "Wall Street Owns The Country."
Class Dismissed: Howard Zinn on Teaching History
Howard Zinn provides a critical look at how U.S. history is taught in high school, the myths that reduce the complexity of history into simple sound bites, and the information that never seems to make it onto the textbook pages. How can we alter this system to address the limitations of the current curriculum, to allow students to find their own place in history and the world today, to inspire them to become active learners and agents for social change? This video takes a beginning step by looking at the textbook industry, standardized testing, the lack of race and class analysis in textbooks, and the teacher's role in introducing a range of perspectives into the classroom. Featuring authors Howard Zinn (A People's History of the United States) and James Loewen (Lies My Teacher Told Me), New York public high school students, textbook industry insiders, and teachers, this is a must-see video for any student or teacher of American History. Produced by PTTV.
GRITtv: From History to Action: Inspired by Howard Zinn
Last week, rebel historian, best-selling author, and lifelong activist Howard Zinn passed away at age 87. His books, teachings, and most recently the film based on his work, touched the lives of activists and progressives around the world, but the greatest legacy he left us was a legacy of acting on your beliefs. We speak with four people whose lives, careers, and activism were shaped by Howard Zinn's work: poet Staceyann Chin, author of "The Other Side of Paradise:" A Memoir, progressive sportswriter Dave Zirin, Nation contributor and author of several books, including "A People's History of Sports in the United States," and teacher, actor and activist Brian Jones.
GRITtv: Ben Jealous: History from the Bottom Up
Benjamin Jealous is the youngest-ever head of the NAACP, but he has a long history with the organization -- he is the fifth generation of his family to be involved. Jealous joined us to remember Howard Zinn and to discuss the importance of knowing your own history and the history of the everyday men and women around us, the ones who shaped movements like the Civil Rights movement and continue to press for social justice the world over.
GRITtv: A People's History of American Empire
Howard Zinn's work has been translated into nearly every format imaginable: here, the history of the American empire is told through cartoons and narrated by Viggo Mortensen.
GRITtv: Remembering Howard Zinn
"You can't be neutral on a moving train," Howard Zinn famously said. He didn't believe in staying closeted in the academy, though he was a brilliant historian whose book, A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present changed the way many people view history. Recently, a documentary based on his work, The People Speak, brought to life the many Americans whose lives and activism would otherwise have been forgotten. Zinn died on Jan. 27 at age 87. He lived a long, full life and was an inspiration to all of us at GRITtv. He spoke to Laura in 2008. We wrote at the time: "With the financial crisis and the election of Barack Obama, allusions to the Great Depression, The New Deal and FDR have become commonplace. But what can the past teach us about the current historical moment? Are the parallels useful? Historian and author Howard Zinn is well known for his 'People's History of the United States.' And he says that it's still the people -- from workers demanding an eight hour day to African Americans and the struggle for civil rights -- who make change. Zinn says that the Chicago workers staging a sit-in are drawing on a rich and very powerful history.
GRITtv: Is This What Democracy Looks Like?
Obama's State of the Union speech called for jobs, health care reform, and fighting the influence of corporations on our government processes, but after the past year, many progressives are skeptical that he'll actually fight. He did include a sharp critique in his speech of the decision of the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a decision that Steve Cobble called an "intellectually dishonest power grab." Cobble, a fellow at the Insitute for Policy Studies, joins us to talk about the state of our union and what people can do to fight the corporate power. Also in studio are Mike Lux, founder of Progressive Strategies and author of The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be, and Lisa Dodson, professor at Boston College and author of The Moral Underground: How Ordinary Americans Subvert an Unfair Economy. We also speak to Congresswoman Donna Edwards, who has introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to regulate corporate speech during elections.
