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| Honoring Howard Zinn |
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CHHIRJ today joins the chorus of voices from around the globe expressing sadness over the death of writer, teacher, activist and historian Howard Zinn.
Howard’s death is an enormous loss for the thousands, if not millions, of people whom Howard generously inspired, taught and encouraged. For people lucky enough to have known Howard, his wisdom, his wit and his warmth – always freely shared – will be greatly missed. We take some comfort in knowing that Howard Zinn’s lessons and fiercely gentle spirit will live on through his books, the resonant words he spoke and the students he taught, here in Boston and throughout the nation and world.
We were honored this month when Howard enthusiastically agreed to come to the Institute on April 5 to discuss his documentary, The People Speak, which aired recently on the History Channel. (http://www.history.com/content/people-speak) CHHIRJ will use the occasion to screen the film and to celebrate the life of Howard Zinn. Watch our website and email alerts for more information. For now, we hope you will appreciate these words from Howard Zinn, which express his humanity, wisdom and unfailing optimism.
To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. |