Howard Zinn 'read in' at Purdue draws a crowd

Hayleigh Colombo | Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier

Show Caption Hide Caption Howard Zinn Read-In at Purdue University Purdue University professors and scholars from across the nation came to West Lafayette, Ind., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, to celebrate the life and work of historian Howard Zinn.

Former Gov. Daniels tried to remove Zinn%27s history book from schools

In response to criticism%2C he called Zinn anti-American

Scholars from around the country attended the read-in Tuesday

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Handmade posters depicting the book covers of George Orwell's 1984, William Golding's Lord of the Flies and countless other controversial American classics adorned the walls of a crowded Purdue University lecture hall filled Tuesday night with activists, students, professors, a state legislator and French documentary filmmakers.

The most controversial author on Purdue's campus these days — Howard Zinn — was what brought the crowd to Purdue.

More than 100 people came together Tuesday at Purdue to read and celebrate the work of the controversial anti-war historian whose name has been uttered frequently around campus this year.

When he was Indiana governor, Purdue President Mitch Daniels tried to rid from schools Zinn's book A People's History of the United States, which he called execrable and inaccurate, according to an Associated Press story published in July.

Purdue professors and history scholars nationwide denounced Daniels for what some called an attack on academic freedom. In response, Daniels doubled down on his criticism of Zinn, who he called an "anti-American academic" in emails he sent to his staff members and others while he was in office.

Daniels did not attend the event, which organizers called a "read-in." Last month in response to the read-in Daniels' spokeswoman Shelley Triol said the president welcomed all viewpoints on campus.

The event's featured speakers included historian and labor activist Staughton Lynd, Lies My Teacher Told Me author James Loewen, Anthony Arnove, who co-edited with Zinn Voices of a People's History of the United States, former U.S. diplomat and peace activist Anne Wright, and Indiana University associate professor Alex Lichtenstein. Arnove said Zinn's work inspired and millions of others to think about history in a different way.

"That ultimately is what is dangerous to people like Mitch Daniels," Arnove said. "The idea of people thinking for themselves, the idea of people learning that history is contested, the idea of people learning examples of people coming together, organizing and advocating for change that in their own moment seemed impossible but actually offset and overturned systems of power, systems that seemed immovable. That's a very dangerous lesson."

The event was live streamed online and hosted in solidarity with 11 campuses — including Ohio State University, Stony Brook University and Berea College in Kentucky — that held similar events Tuesday to honor Zinn.

"It was an evening that was made by ordinary human beings, men and women who work hard in their lives to make extraordinary change, and that was the vision of Howard Zinn," said Tithi Bhattacharya, an associate professor of history at Purdue who organized the event.

Jesse Hagopian, a teacher at Garfield High School in Washington who led his school in a standardized testing boycott and Skyped into the event, said teaching Zinn's work in public schools helps arm his students with "a critical lens" through which to view history, which allows them to take action when they have a chance to stand up to injustice.

But Hagopian said that can be a threat to some people.

"I'd always hoped that one day, maybe some far off day, my students would be in a position where they had to take a stand against an injustice they saw," Hagopian said. "With injustices seemingly multiplying exponentially these days I didn't have to wait that long. ... I'm here to say tonight to Mitch Daniels, yes, Howard Zinn's work is very dangerous."

History professor Susan Curtis, who this summer authored a letter of opposition to Daniels signed by more than 90 Purdue faculty members, announced a Howard Zinn Memorial Research Award has been started at Purdue.

More than $8,000 already has been pledged to the fund, which will support American studies graduate students whose research focuses on dissenters and marginalized groups, and it will continue indefinitely if it reaches $25,000.

"For those of us that believe the voices of dissent, the voices of the marginalized, the voices of the oppressed are worth hearing, this is the kind of research award we want to support," Curtis said.

Loewen focused his presentation on sundown towns in Indiana, which are towns that purposely excluded African-American residents. Loewen has traveled the country to try to identify and collect historical data about these towns in order to expose the history.

Loewen ended his presentation by showing the audience a mostly blank slide, except for a title asking what the Purdue community should do about Daniels' presence on campus.

Loewen said the Purdue community should hold Daniels accountable and continue to stand up for the tenets of academic freedom.

"I do suggest that the first thing you should do is you should be asking him to of course fund and attend evenings like this.

"I think Howard Zinn was a patriot. I think Mitch Daniels is a nationalist. I think we need to convert him to being a patriot."