We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of activist and historian Howard Zinn. Many of you know his work, and through his work, got a feeling for the man himself. He will be sorely missed.

Zinn’s life was dedicated to the concept of social justice, and at trying to see the world from the point of view of everyday people, instead of through the eyes of the rich, famous, and powerful. His groundbreaking book “A People’s History of the United States” was a retelling of the same events we learned in school, but shown from the perspective of the marginalized and oppressed. It’s a common saying that history is written by the winners, but Zinn’s writings tried to recapture a bit of history for everyone else.

Zinn’s autobiography was titled “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train”, which emphasized the idea that a person needs to take sides in life.  Society is always in motion, and if you have the slightest care how that society looks, who is helped, who is harmed, about justice and freedom, YOU HAVE TO MOVE.

Zinn was also very proud to have a version of his history writings turned into a movie, of sorts. In 2009, the History Channel aired a documentary called “The People Speak”, which features talented actors like Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, and Viggo Mortenson, reading the actual words of forgotten souls from history, speaking their minds about important historical moments, and often disagreeing violently with the tales we’ve been told.

Others who knew him best will better tell Howard Zinn’s story, and describe his gentle personality (although we interviewed Howard on the Axis of Justice Radio show back in 2006, you can hear it here and here. We only know that he has enriched our lives, changed the lives of many others, and kept the memories of others long gone from crumbling into dust.