Do the young people speak? RIP Howard Zinn.

On January 27^th, 2010 the great “people’s historian” Howard Zinn died. On February 15^th, 2010 [ironically, President’s Day] the people came to the Howard Zinn Tribute at [the original 14^th & Vst] Busboys & Poets in Washington DC. Together we sat in Andy Shallal’s living room to pay tribute where tribute was due, but to a man that wanted no such thing.

My 24 year old friend and I, two years her elder, (both University of Rochester alumna//their motto of which is “Meliora”) sat back and relaxed. She soon asked me if I typically noticed if I was one of the younger ones at ‘events like these;’ to which I replied, ‘oh, most definitely.’ We continued to talk about our hidden fervor around political activist events such as these and how we don’t have many friends that we discuss ‘politics’ with, let alone that watch DemocracyNow.

I kept thinking about how we are not that young, but let it go. Soon after, we received a new “adult” neighbor who quickly remarked “you look like some of the youngest people here.” We explained that we had graduated college and learned that her husband had also attended the University of Rochester. Small world.

David Zirin emceed the tribute with his usual charm and wit; introducing the show by telling about how Zinn had been called by the Boston Globe about his obituary to which Zinn responded “when is the deadline?” We heard beautiful sounds and eloquent words from the likes of The Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project, Ralph Nader, Bernice Johnson Regan, Amy Goodman, Sojourner Truth, Phyllis Bennis, Marian Wright Edelman, Emma’s Revolution, John Judge, Rich Rubenstein, Muhammad Ali, Geoff Millard, and, also recently deceased, Lucile Clifton.

In the middle of all this, it dawned on me. Where were our peers? Especially the college kids, less confined to a 9-5 job, and able to secure a seat three hours prior to the 6pm start. Meanwhile, many people stood in the rainy cold wintery mix, almost Zinn (not Zen)-like, listening through speakers and watching through the windows. Maybe some of our peers were there; and maybe some were inside.

Ms. Edelman spoke of being a sixteen year old freshman at Spellman College; and meeting this tall, handsome, man named “Howie” that taught and guided her. I kept looking around for the sixteen-year-olds (or even twenty-somethings) reminiscent of Ms. Edelman’s youth, but saw few.

Damien Smith (sp?) talked about how people like Howard did not know their place; he said “…that’s good. None of us know our place.” I do not expect my peers or myself to know our place. But I do think that we of all ages need to do as Rich Rubenstein said “you need to work on interpreting the world and do it the way Zinn did it.”

Get comfortable in a living room talking and listening to strangers; as well as people you do ‘know.’ If we cannot speak and listen up in “the inside;” how are we going to do so outside? Thanks, Howard.