--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what's great about Howard Zinn…" description: "\"That's what's great about Howard Zinn. Here's a guy who says, \"Look, democracy doesn't come from above - it comes from below.\" The only way change will..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/josh-brolin-11868_democracy_that-s-what-s-great-about-howard-zinn-he_2876343.jpg" --- # That's what's great about Howard Zinn. Here's a guy who… ![“That's what's great about Howard Zinn. Here's a guy who says, "Look, democracy doesn't come from above - it comes from below." The only way change will ever happen is if we speak up, and we have to know that it actually has an impact. Because we have a lot more power than we think we do, I think.” quote by Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/josh-brolin-11868_democracy_that-s-what-s-great-about-howard-zinn-he_2876343.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/josh-brolin-11868_democracy_that-s-what-s-great-about-howard-zinn-he_2876343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/080/josh-brolin-11868_democracy_that-s-what-s-great-about-howard-zinn-he_2876343.jpg) > “That's what's great about Howard Zinn. Here's a guy who says, "Look, democracy doesn't come from above - it comes from below." The only way change will ever happen is if we speak up, and we have to know that it actually has an impact. Because we have a lot more power than we think we do, I think.” [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy originates from grassroots action; collective voice drives change and empowerment. **In simple terms:** Democracy comes from people, not leaders. Key Takeaway Speak up and act together. Themes democracy grassroots empowerment collective action Mood inspirational determined Type political motivational When to use this quote - community organizing - activism - policy advocacy Key Concepts political theory social movements Questions to Reflect On - How can you amplify marginalized voices? - What concrete steps can you take to influence local decisions? A Different Perspective Change can be slow despite vocal participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The only way change will ever happen is if we speak up, and we have to know that it actually has an impact. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/the-only-way-change-will-ever-happen-is-if-we-speak-up-and-we-have-to/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [ One of the most recent things we did \[in Perceval Press\] is a reissue of a fantastic documentary about Russian prison tattoo culture by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/one-of-the-most-recent-things-we-did-in-perceval-press-is-a-reissue/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I met Howard Zinn in 1961, my first year at Spelman College in Atlanta. He was the tall, rangy, good-looking professor that many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-met-howard-zinn-in-1961-my-first-year-at-spelman-college-in-atlanta/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Howard Zinn helped us desegregate Atlanta. That was moving because he took a lot of abuse for that. He and Staughton Lynd, a fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/howard-zinn-helped-us-desegregate-atlanta-that-was-moving-because-he/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [ John Silber said the single longest reference he could find to Abraham Lincoln \[in Howard Zinn's History of America \] was two paragraphs. That… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/john-silber-said-the-single-longest-reference-he-could-find-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Howard Zinn ran what is called the Zinn Education Project. It is a radical, radical bunch of insane lunatic leftists. And there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/howard-zinn-ran-what-is-called-the-zinn-education-project-it-is-a/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Imagine Jon Stewart if he gave a damn. He's like Howard Zinn after 12 beers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-swanson/imagine-jon-stewart-if-he-gave-a-damn-he-s-like-howard-zinn-after-12/) [David Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-swanson/) > [By the way, Howard Zinn's History of America is front and center at the gift shop of the New York Historical Society. The New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/by-the-way-howard-zinn-s-history-of-america-is-front-and-center-at/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ This comes from Mike Gonzalez at the Daily Signal: \[ Howard\] Zinn's history "set the stage for the grievance mongering that passes for history… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/this-comes-from-mike-gonzalez-at-the-daily-signal-howard-zinn-s/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Howard Zinn was magical as a teacher. Witty, irreverent, and wise, he loved what he was teaching and clearly wanted his students to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/howard-zinn-was-magical-as-a-teacher-witty-irreverent-and-wise-he/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [If the great Western experiment fails and we end up living in totalitarian war-on-terrorism states, one day someone's going to say, 'Well democracy doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/if-the-great-western-experiment-fails-and-we-end-up-living-in/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Democracy doesn't recognize east or west; democracy is simply people's will. Therefore, I do not acknowledge that there are various models of democracy; there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/democracy-doesn-t-recognize-east-or-west-democracy-is-simply-people-s/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Marriage is like democracy - it doesn't really work, but it's all we've been able to come up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/marriage-is-like-democracy-it-doesn-t-really-work-but-it-s-all-we-ve/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [A great democracy doesn't make it harder to vote than to buy an assault weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/a-great-democracy-doesn-t-make-it-harder-to-vote-than-to-buy-an/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Saddam's ouster will not necessarily lead to the same result, since Iraq lacks democratic traditions. Democracy doesn't just consist of holding elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/saddam-s-ouster-will-not-necessarily-lead-to-the-same-result-since/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) ## More by Josh Brolin > [Suddenly, I'm in movies that people are excited about, and that is a nice change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/suddenly-i-m-in-movies-that-people-are-excited-about-and-that-is-a/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Nothing misleads people like the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/nothing-misleads-people-like-the-truth/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I love the competitive part of stocks. A lot of fear and greed, that's all it is. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's what's great about Howard Zinn. 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