News - Zinn Education Project

Wendell Pierce on Hurricane Katrina Anniversary

On this tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we recommend listening to this interview with actor, activist, and author Wendell Pierce on the "greatest crime" in the wake of the storm.

Bree Newsome: I Refused to Be Ruled by Fear

In June, while politicians continued to debate about the implications of taking down the Confederate flag after the shooting of nine people at Emmanuel AME Church and several arson fires on Black churches in the South that followed, Bree Newsome scaled the South Carolina state flag pole and took the flag down herself. She did not organized this effort alone.

What This Cruel War Was Over

As Ta-Nehisi Coates points out in this article, the secession of Southern states was triggered by one thing: the desperate quest to preserve slavery.

It’s Not Just the Confederate Flag

By William Loren Katz The Confederate flag represents a threat to citizens of color, a symbol of treason against the United States, and a war fought on behalf of slaveholders. But there are other equally offensive symbols that have not attracted the attention they should. For example, a statue of former South Carolina governor and U.S. Senator Ben Tillman stands in the state Capitol.

50,000 Teachers Strong and Counting

In June, the Zinn Education Project reached the milestone of 50,000 teachers registered to download…

Zinn Education Project Connects Students to Life of Unsung Hero, Win Calif. History Day

In January, Janet Kelly contacted the Zinn Education Project to help her 7th and 8th grade students research Fred Ross Sr., a little known but influential grassroots organizer, for their History Day Project about the United Farmworkers' Union.

Spring 2015 Update

The Zinn Education Project has engaged more people than ever with quality, thought-provoking people's history lessons for students and stimulating articles that challenge myths about our history. With your continued support, we can reach more classrooms. We bring you a quick snapshot of 2015 so far.

New Teaching Activities on Race, Housing, and Displacement

The Zinn Education Project is delighted to announce the posting of three new articles and activities on race, housing, and displacement. Originally published in Rethinking Schools magazine, these articles offer compelling examples of how teachers engage their students in exploring the roots of today’s economic inequality.

Rethinking Cinco de Mayo

This month we feature the very popular article on how the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo perpetuates stereotypes and misconceptions of this holiday that commemorates the defeat of Napoleon III, not Mexico’s Independence Day. Published on the Huffington Post and the Zinn Education Project websites.

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By Sudie Hofmann I recently came across a flier in an old backpack of my daughter’s: Wanted: Committee Chairs for this Spring’s Cinco de Mayo All School Celebration. The flier was replete with cultural props including a sombrero, cactus tree, donkey, taco, maracas, and chili peppers. Seeing this again brought back the moment when, years earlier, my daughter had handed the flier to me, and I’d thought, “Oh, no.” The local K-6 elementary school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) was sponsoring a stereotypical Mexican American event. There were no Chicana/o students, parents, or staff members who I was aware of in the school community and I was concerned about the event’s authenticity. I presumed the PTSA meant well, and was attempting to provide a multicultural experience for students and families, but it seemed they were likely to get it wrong. Continue reading.

‘Any serious efforts to wake everyone up deserves support’ and More 2014 Donor Tributes

Thank you to the 209 donors in 2014 whose support makes it possible for the…

Pentagon Papers collage | Zinn Education Project

Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers a Secret

As the Pentagon commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we revisit Bill Bigelow's article that deals with the textbooks' failure to grapple with the import of the Pentagon Papers, which were historical documents not military secrets, and why Daniel Ellsberg felt the American public needed to know the history of U.S. intervention and deceit.

Eduardo Galeano, ¡Presente!

The great writer, historian, activist, and critic, Eduardo Galeano, died on April 13, 2015. His work was a gift to every teacher who hopes to make sense of this "upside down world" with students.

50th Anniversary of the Vietnam Peace Movement

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam Peace Movement which is being commemorated at the Vietnam: The Power of Protest convening in Washington, D.C. on May 1-2. As conference organizers explain, "This effort began last fall in reaction to the Pentagon’s plans for their own commemoration, including extensive public outreach and a false and one-sided website history of the Vietnam War that excluded the peace movement."

New Teaching Activities on the Environment

We’re delighted to announce the posting of four new articles and activities on environmental justice issues. At a moment when the dimensions of the climate crisis are becoming more apparent, the Zinn Education Project is committed to providing teachers more resources to help students confront the causes and consequences of climate change and the broader environmental crisis. Our collective house is burning down. The least we can do is help our students understand why and consider ways to respond.

People’s History Artists for the Classroom

We are featuring some of our favorite people's history artists as a resource to connect art and social justice in the classroom.

Thank You, Alison Kysia

We express our heartfelt appreciation to Alison Kysia for her work with the Zinn Education…

Black History Month and the Cuban Solidarity Movement of the 1870s

By Paul Ortiz Seven years after the end of the Civil War, hundreds of African Americans in Baltimore gathered at historic Madison Street (Colored) Presbyterian Church for the purpose, “[O]f adopting measures to petition the Congress of the United States to tender the powerful mediation of this great government towards ameliorating the sad condition of a half million of our brethren now held in slavery in the island of Cuba by Spain.”

Time to Tell the Truth About Slavery at Mount Vernon

By Sudie Hofmann At the time of George Washington's death, the Washingtons enslaved 318 people of African descent at Mount Vernon, according to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. But you would not know it from the main tour, nor from the brochure. In fact, most visitors, including schoolchildren, can spend hours admiring the Mount Vernon mansion, fine furniture, and manicured lawns without considering that it was all paid for with forced labor.

Post by Sudie Hofmann

“The Birth of a Nation”: A Century Later

By William Loren Katz By an odd coincidence the first week of Black History Month this February, Time magazine ran an article on the 100th anniversary of the first public showing of the movie classic The Birth of a Nation. This silent film was Hollywood’s first blockbuster, first great historical epic, first full-length film, and first to introduce modern cinematic techniques that still keep audiences enthralled. Time noted the movie’s problem. From its casting and content to its dramatic conclusion it was unabashedly racist.

Five Years Later: Honoring Howard Zinn’s Legacy of Teaching and Activism

Dear Zinn Education Project friends, The great historian and social justice activist, Howard Zinn,…

Howard Zinn at Peace Rally | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Five Years After: Long Live Howard Zinn

By Bill Bigelow This week — Jan. 27 — marks five years since the death of the great historian and activist Howard Zinn. No doubt, he would be encouraged by how many educators are engaging students in thinking critically about history and current issues.

44,500 Teachers and Growing — Support Teaching Outside the Textbook

More teachers. More students. More people's history. This year, we reached 44,500 K-12 teachers who are using free Zinn Education Project lessons. That's almost a million students receiving a more honest and complex understanding of U.S. history. Help us reach 55,000 teachers in 2015 with people's history resources.

10,000 More Teachers in One Year — You Can Help Us Reach Thousands More in 2015

This week, the Zinn Education Project reached a milestone: 10,000 new registered teachers in 2014. We now have more than 44,500 teachers using our materials, teaching outside the textbook. As one of the 44,500 educators who have registered for the Zinn Education Project website, please donate so that we can reach even more teachers and students in the coming year. You can make an online donation, a stock donation, or mail a check to the address below.

Teachers Say NO Koch in Schools

In November of 2014, the Zinn Education Project published a widely circulated exposé of the Koch Brothers influence on K-12 civics education. Called "The Koch Brothers Sneak into School," the article explained: The billionaire brothers, Charles and David Koch, make their money in fossil fuels. They use some of their vast wealth to fund a network of organizations to push their interests. One of these is the Bill of Rights Institute.

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter

In light of the grand jury decision, we share this collection of teaching ideas and resources, originally published by Teaching for Change in August of 2014. By Julian Hipkins III As the new school year begins, first and foremost on our minds and in our hearts will be the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Teachers may be faced with students’ anger, frustration, sadness, confusion, and questions. Some students will wonder how this could happen in the United States. For others, unfortunately, police brutality and intimidation are all too familiar.