SOURCE: Huffington Post (11-12-09) The project is inspired by
Howard Zinn's books A People's History of the United States and,
with Anthony Arnove, Voices of a People's History of the United
States, two books that have had a deep influence on how I
understand this country. Howard's books provide a history of the
United States from below, from the standpoint of ordinary people
often overlooked in our textbooks and in our culture. In 2005, I
had the chance to be part of reading in Los Angeles with a
remarkable lineup of actors, including Sandra Oh and Josh
Brolin, which we called Voices of a People's History of the
United States. The enthusiastic reaction of the audience to
hearing the words of people in our country's history who have
spoken out, fought injustice, and made a change, demonstrated
how empowering it can be for people to reclaim this history and
to make it their own. And how enlightening it is to shine the
light of history on the issues and concerns of the present. The
success of these performances