While many have debunked the ideas of Howard Zinn, The Locke Society is the only organization working to end the infiltration of Zinn’s anti-American agenda in school curricula. His presence, not only through his published works, but through educational organizations that have been created in his name, continues to threaten America’s future.
Highlighted at the 2018 annual conference for the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) was the Zinn Education Project, a collaboration between Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change, all of which reflect Howard Zinn’s goal in revolutionizing education for social justice. Howard Zinn, a leader in the socialist movement who advocated for the dissolution of American values, was the keynote speaker at the 2008 conference for the NCSS. According to the Zinn Education Project, there are currently 80,000 teachers signed up to access these lessons, and 10,000 more teachers join each year. Teachers using these lessons are not only from public schools, but from charter, parochial, private, and home schools.
Born out of A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, the ideas promoted in this “project” are the foundations of the current political trend of socialism. Many, including Zinn himself, acknowledge that this book is deliberately biased, and argue that it must not be neutral in order to facilitate resistance to America. Rebecca Stefoff authored A Young People’s History of the United States to make Zinn’s ideas accessible to younger students. Although some may not approve of bringing Zinn’s ideas into the K-12 classroom, they may not successfully stop the spread of his ideas since many popular resources used by teachers have adopted many of them.
Originally published in 1980, with its final publication in 2003, A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn reflects the legacy of Eugene V. Debs, known as the father of American socialism, and Karl Marx, the father of communism. A recipient of the Eugene V. Debs award in 1998 for his “writing and political activism,” Howard Zinn honored the memory of Debs and Marx, while those who honor Zinn, particularly in education, continue to keep the roots of socialism/communism alive.
While the ideologies of Debs and Marx have integrated themselves into the forefront of politics today, they are becoming a staple in education as well. Zinn knew the value of education in regard to overcoming social issues and overthrowing the system that he suggests has caused the plight of people worldwide. He argues that the classroom is a better field to battle the establishment than that of the political arena. According to Zinn, “This learned sense of moral proportion, coming from the apparent objectivity of the scholar, is accepted more easily than when it comes from politicians at press conferences.” When radicals attempt a systematic change, they always embed themselves into the educational system. This is because children’s minds are the easiest to mold and they innocently believe their teachers, just as many young adults believe their professors. Zinn suggests that those who listen to politicians already know that their speaker is biased, but a teacher may appear objective and therefore be more trustworthy with presenting facts, which makes schools the ideal place to begin a movement.
Zinn and his colleagues argue that education cannot and should not be neutral. Zinn’s statement that, “Education can, and should, be dangerous,” shows his intent to destroy the American way of life. When teachers and learners are participating in a campaign to further secure the socialist agenda, education becomes a danger not only to people of the nation, but the people of the world.
Right now, whether they acknowledge it or not, know it or not, teachers are the bearers of Zinn’s legacy.