- Zinn Education Project

Ordinary Citizens Catalyzing Change: A ‘People’s History’ of 2013

By Katy Swalwell This year has been full of examples of people making history. Although newspapers and textbooks often focus on political and military leaders, the real story was with "ordinary people" in the streets who challenged injustice and worked for good.

Under Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Racist Children’s Book

By Deborah Menkart A firestorm erupted when Scholastic released a children's book early this month, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, by Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, featuring smiling slaves baking a cake for George Washington.

Bashing Howard Zinn: A Critical Look at One of the Critics

A critical response to “Undue Certainty: Where Howard Zinn’s A People’s History Falls Short" by Sam Wineburg.

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.