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Howard Zinn passes at 87

By IDA Editorial Staff


Howard Zinn, historian and political activist, died today in Santa Monica, California, where he was traveling. He was 87.

Our condolences to his family and friends.

The following statement was issued by First Run Features this afternoon:

Today we mourn the loss of author, activist, historian and beloved folk hero Howard Zinn, who has been an integral part of the First Run legacy for many years. Howard lent his support to countless of our films, several in which he plays a central role. The most recent of these is The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, which opens in theaters tomorrow. Howard protected copies of the Pentagon Papers for Ellsberg--even hid them in his apartment for a time, and he later served as an expert witness for the defense at Ellsberg's criminal trial. In his recollections of Zinn on antiwar.com, Ellsberg writes that his friend is "the best human being I’ve ever known [and] the best example of what a human can be"

We invite you to learn more about this remarkable man through the biographical Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, based on Zinn’s memoir of the same name, as well as the documentaries Sacco and Vanzetti, The Camden 28 and One Bright Shining Moment.

Find out more about Howard Zinn on his website.