Legendary Playwright, Historian Howard Zinn Dead At 87  American
playwright, teacher and best selling author Howard Zinn has
died. He was 87. Zinn was best known for his book "A People's
History of the United States" which sold more than a million
copies world wide. Host Michel Martin has this remembrance.
Finally, we want to close our program today by telling you about
Howard Zinn. He died yesterday. He was no ivory tower academic,
as much activist as academic. Zinn made a name for himself
highlighting the role of the powerless in American history.
Professor Zinn taught at Spellman College, where Marian Wright
Edelman and novelist Alice Walker were among his students. Zinn
was eventually fired from there for insubordination. He had
actively encouraged his students to participate in local civil
rights protests. Zinn went on to teach at Boston University,
where he mixed scholarly investigation with anti-war protest.
His most popular work was the bestselling "A People's History of
the United States." He sum