Teaching People's History Highlights of 2013

The year 2013 ended with more than 34,000 teachers registered, more than 63,000 Facebook fans, reaching millions of students each year, and creating the public space that supports people’s history being taught in classrooms.

Here we feature just a few of the accomplishments of 2013, which would not have been possible without the support of individual donors at all levels of giving. Be sure to keep on top of news and events by registering for the website and becoming a Facebook fan.

New, improved, and enhanced version of the Zinn Education Project website launched. Read more.	Continued to raised public awareness about the importance of teaching people’s history through the If We Knew Our History series that include articles on coal and the climate crisis, the Tulsa “race riot,” the invasion of Grenada, and the Pentagon Papers. Browse the series.
Collected stories and remembrances by former students at Spelman College and Boston University and launched, “Howard Zinn, Our Favorite Teacher” series.	We welcomed a new contributor to the If We Knew Our History series, Bill Fletcher, Jr. (L) with “Claiming and Teaching the 1963 March on Washington.” We also added Katy Swalwell (M) and Alison Kysia (R) to the Zinn Education Project team as Research and Writing Fellows.
Partnered with StoryCorps on the politics of naming by promoting the animated short, “Facundo the Great” and featuring a community building lesson, “To Say the Name Is to Begin the Story,” by Linda Christensen on the personal and cultural significance of naming. Read more.	The Zinn Education Project team ran another popular booth at the National Council for the Social Studies conference in St. Louis. In addition to being a destination for teachers to meet others teaching people’s history, we hosted a booksigning with Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, and a meet-and-greet with Mary Beth Tinker. See Facebook photo album.
Published “Ordinary Citizens Catalyzing Change: People’s History of 2013” on GOOD. Read more.	Facebook fans reach 60,000. Visit for daily people’s history posts and news.

Defended people’s history from attacks and censorship:
Gave national visibility to the attempt to censor Howard Zinn in public schools by Mitch Daniels with the publication of ”Indiana’s Anti-Howard Zinn Witch Hunt” by Bill Bigelow. Read more.	Revitalized the McCarthy era Green Feather Movement campaign, an anti-censorship campaign, this time in defense of people’s history, with buttons, stickers, and postcards distributed at Howard Zinn Read-Ins, Indiana teacher conferences, and the National Council for the Social Studies. Read more.	Responded to the American Educator attack on Howard Zinn and A People’s History with the review “Bashing Howard Zinn: A Critical Look at One of the Critics” by Alison Kysia. Read more.

Collaborated with key partners including:
Mary Beth Tinker’s Power of the Armband Tour to promote youth voices, free speech, and a free press	The Last Mountain filmmakers to find references to coal in textbooks	Americans Who Tell the Truth
Civil Rights Movement veterans	BackStory radio show to record a classroom implementing “The People vs Columbus” trial	Harvey Richards Archives allowing access to movement photos and giving teachers free copies of Critical Focus