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Howard Zinn
Author, historian, activist
Howard Zinn worked in a shipyard before joining the U.S. Air Force to fight Germany in World War II. Following the war, he went to college under the G.I. Bill and earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Zinn served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. His personal experiences in the military led Zinn to develop a strong opposition to war, and he became increasingly involved in anti-war activism.
Zinn was a strong participant in the Civil Rights Movement. He was dismissed from his tenured position at Spelman College in Atlanta in 1963 for encouraging his students to get involved in civil rights demonstrations and exercise their right of freedom of expression.
In his work as a historian, Zinn came to understand that history is often written from a one-sided viewpoint. To combat this, Zinn has written numerous books that show the many perspectives of American history. One of his most recognized publications is A People’s History of the United States.
First published in 1980, A People's History tells the story of ordinary people and their struggle for freedom and equality. Progressive high schools and universities often use this book as an alternative to standard history textbooks. By reading this work, students can learn about the struggle of Native Americans against European imperialism and U.S. westward expansion, slaves struggling against the institution of slavery, women struggling for equality, African Americans struggling for civil rights, and more.
Even today, almost 30 years since its first publication, A People's History of the United States sells in excess of 100,000 copies per year and was most recently turned made into a documentary film titled The People Speak for the History Channel.
Zinn passed away in early 2010 and is considered an icon for activists, educators, and progressives around the world.
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