36 Howard Zinn Quotes From The Pioneering Political Thinker

Howard Zinn (24 August 1922 - 27 January 2010) is an American historian known for his social work and activism.

Howard Zinn wrote a famous book 'People's History of The United States', in which Howard Zinn quotes Columbus, who compared the Arawaks of the Bahama islands to the Indians on the mainland and defined them to be unlike the European people. It was aimed at understanding the innate problem with Columbus's Orient point of view about 'the Other'.

His view of the American country is represented in the history of the United States and Zinn highlights the problem with Columbus by quoting Columbus in his works. He participated in civil rights supporting and voting rights protests. Here are some of his most iconic quotes. If you like these, check out [activism quotes] and human rights quotes.

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Howard Zinn found it essential to study history and he even spent some time of his life teaching students in Spellman College for women.  Howard Zinn headed the History Department. Here are some Howard Zinn quotes about US History and Howard Zinn quotes on civil rights.

1." Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide, and slavery -have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience."

-Howard Thurman, 'Howard Zinn On War'.

2." Civil disobedience is not something outside the realm of democracy. Democracy requires civil disobedience. Without civil disobedience, democracy does not exist.

-Howard Zinn.  

3."There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

-Howard Thurman, 'Howard Zinn On War'.

4. "History is important. If you don't know history it is as if you were born yesterday.

-Howard Zinn.

5."If the Gods had intended for people to vote, they would have given us candidates."

-Howard Zinn.

Howard Zinn was strongly opposed to the system. He felt that participating in it only led to a system where there was violence between men. He developed these views post his term serving in the Air force where he was involved in bombing missions. Here are some Howard Zinn quotes about hate, Howard Zinn quotes on toxic environments, and Howard Zinn quotes on war.

6."When a nation issues ultimatums, it leaves no room for compromise and ensures that war will continue."

-Howard Zinn.

7."War itself is the enemy of the human race."

-Howard Zinn.

8. "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It was based on the fact that man's history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness.

-Howard Zinn.

9." When People don't understand that the government doesn't have their interest in mind, they are more susceptible to go to war."

-Howard Zinn.

10. "One certain effect of warfare is to diminish freedom of expression."

-Howard Zinn.

11."...It was not until Hersey's Hiroshima that I realized what bomber pilots do."

-Howard Zinn.

12."War is terrorism, magnified a hundred times."

-Howard Zinn.

13."They didn't give their lives for their country! Their lives were taken away from them by their government."

-Howard Zinn.

14."...war is inevitably the indiscriminate killing of large numbers of people. And that fact overwhelms whatever moral cause is somewhere buried in its history."

-Howard Zinn.

15."When you fight a war against a tyrant, who do you kill? You kill the victims of the tyrant."

-Howard Zinn.

16."Yes, we are dreamers. We want it all. We want a peaceful world. We want an egalitarian world. We don't want war. We don't want capitalism. We want a decent society."

-Howard Zinn.

17."...by the time war ends both the sides have engaged in evil."

-Howard Zinn.

18. "The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think a man should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

-Howard Zinn.

19."I wonder how foreign policies of the United States would look like if we wiped out national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own."

-Howard Zinn.

He was a pioneer for activism and even supported student's work throughout the civil rights movements because of which he also lost his job at Spellman College for women. However, this did not stop Howard Zinn from pursuing his passion for supporting his stance in life. Here are some Howard Zinn quotes about patriotism, Howard Zinn quotes about hope, activism, and inequality.

20. "Capitalism has always been a failure for the lower classes. It is now beginning to fail for the middle classes."

-Howard Zinn.

21."Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism."

-Howard Zinn.

22."But I suppose the most revolutionary act one can engage in is, to tell the truth."

-Howard Zinn.

23."Pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, it reproduces itself by crippling our willingness to act."

-Howard Zinn, 'You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times'.

24."If those in charge of our society...can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves."

-Howard Zinn.

25."Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens."

-Howard Zinn.

26."Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it."

-Howard Zinn.

27."You can't be neutral on a moving train."

-Howard Zinn, 'You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times'.

28. "Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can change the world."

-Howard Zinn, 'A Power Governments Cannot Express'.

29. "I'm concerned that students not become passive acceptors of the official doctrine that's handled down the down to them from The White House, the media, textbooks, teachers, and preachers."  

-Howard Zinn.

30."Human beings are not machines, and however the pressure to conform, they sometimes are so moved by what they see as injustice that they dare to declare their independence. In that historical possibility lies hope."

-Howard Zinn.

31."The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you don't listen to it, you will never know what justice is."

-Howard Zinn, 'A People's History of the United States'.

32."The memory of the oppressed is one thing that cannot be taken away and for such people, with such memories, revolt is always an inch below the surface."

-Howard Zinn, 'A People's History of the United States'.

33."Sometimes it's a short step from banning to burning."

-Howard Zinn.

34."I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be founding the past's fugitive moments of compassion rather than its solid centuries of warfare."

-Howard Zinn.

35."The Future is an infinite succession of presents."

-Howard Zinn.

36."The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth."

-Howard Zinn.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Howard Zinn quotes then why not take a look at [protest quotes], or [women's rights quotes].

‍second image credit: Nhu Ng / Shutterstock.com