The History They Tried to Hide: Why Zinn Still Matters

Most U.S. history textbooks present a sanitized, simplified version of the past, one that often glosses over or outright erases the voices of ordinary people. Instead of telling the full story of struggle, resistance, and resilience, these narratives tend to focus on political leaders, wars, and economic milestones, while leaving out the stories that truly shape our society.

A weathered American flag overlayed with silhouettes of protestors marching, fists raised, with the text: “History belongs to the people.”

As Howard Zinn famously argued, “History is an account of endeavors of the oppressed to oppose the oppressors,” and yet, far too often, the stories of those oppressed, workers, women, people of color, indigenous communities, are missing or marginalized in mainstream histories. Zinn’s groundbreaking work shifted the way we understand history, by centering the perspectives of the oppressed, the marginalized, and the everyday folks whose actions and voices often go unrecognized.

He challenged the dominant narrative with the bold assertion that “history is taught as a collection of facts, dates, and battles, but it’s really the story of human beings fighting for justice.” His A People's History of the United States isn’t just a retelling; it’s a call to reexamine what we know, to question whose stories are being told, and to listen to those who have historically been silenced.

Today, we’re witnessing a renewed assault on that very perspective. Book bans, curriculum wars, and efforts to control what students learn are not just about education, they’re about power. They’re about who gets to write the story, whose voices are heard, and which histories are deemed acceptable. The fight over memory isn’t just about history; it’s about controlling the future.

As Zinn warned, “You can’t be neutral on a moving train,” meaning that silence or complacency in the face of injustice only perpetuates the status quo. If we want a more honest, inclusive understanding of our past, and a better future, we need to challenge the sanitized stories we've been fed.

Pick up Zinn’s work. Question what you were taught in school. Seek out the stories of those who fought back, who resisted, and who built movements for change. Let his words inspire you: “If you’re determined to learn the truth, then you will find it,” regardless of the attempts to hide or distort it.

And remember history is ongoing. The fight to shape and reclaim our collective memory continues today. Now is the time to be active participants in building a people’s history, one that reflects the true complexity of our shared past. As Zinn said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Our work to understand and rewrite that past is urgent and continuous.

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