A spotlight cascades upon the stage revealing a single figure in its wake. A hush falls on the crowd as the man brings the microphone to his pursed lips.
“If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people, they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow ... I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail. We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”
The words fall heavy onto a room in captivated silence. The figure steps back, removes the cap shielding his eyes, to reveal what isn’t the 6-foot-4 1966 Heavy Weight Champion. Instead it’s 5’8” Lupe Fiasco dawning thick-rimmed black glasses and a plaid brown shirt. But as the words of Muhammad Ali resonate throughout the room, it is clear that history isn’t just being heard, but made.
As Fiasco exited the stage he was met by a roar of applause from the over 200 students who had crammed into George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium to watch history come to life. This wasn’t the rapper and three-time Grammy nominee’s typical concert tour. Instead, Nov. 9 marked the second stop on the College Tour to promote the new film “The People Speak,” in which he co-stars. Along with filmmaker Chris Moore, Fiasco sought to endorse a film that takes a unique look at the intersection of America’s past, present and future.
“The People Speak” is a documentary featuring readings of historical documents, letters and diaries of those both famous and forgotten whose actions shaped the face of the nation. From the letters of Eugene Debbs or the speeches made by Malcolm X, to the haunting lyrics of Billie Holiday or the angry pleas of Cindy Sheehan — these stories and many more are reawakened through performances by celebrities like Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Bob Dylan, Morgan Freeman and numerous others, including Fiasco’s performance of Ali’s speech.
The film was inspired by historian and executive producer Howard Zinn’s book, “A People’s History of the United States.” A response to the self-proclaimed classically one-sided presentation of American history, Zinn sought to provide a narrative for voices often marginalized and ignored. Since its release in 1980, the book has sold over one million copies and spawned a collection of photographic essays, a graphic novel and a textual version adopted for younger readers. Well-known throughout the academic world, Zinn, a professor himself, has found his book appearing on syllabi across the nation.
However, Zinn’s constant support for the importance of dissent has certainly made him and his writings the target for its undertaking. The organization Accuracy in Media called “A People’s History” a “hate-America book,” while Rick Shenkman stated that Zinn’s ideas made him a “danger” to the American people. The film could not escape unscathed from such controversy, something Moore addresses quite openly. Yet, while the film faced hesitant and precarious sponsors, it was not the absence of support that most challenged Moore, but rather the absence of explanation.
“One of the saddest things is that people don’t talk about the things they care about because they are afraid it will offend someone,” Moore said. “Political correctness has taken over the situation ... The thing that is dangerous and insidious about this is that you can’t fight it if they don’t say it.”
Yet, any fear of censorship befalling the night’s event was dispelled within the first few minutes. When questions arose about a possible liberal bias throughout the film, Fiasco calmly raised his hand and said, “I don’t support Obama.” It would not be the last comment to stir emotion within the audience. Fiasco further explained, “The biggest budget is the defense budget, the military budget. The biggest budget we have isn’t the life budget. It’s the death budget — which I just can’t agree with.”
As the night wore on, the event continued to manifest the film’s tagline, “Democracy is not a spectator sport,” by involving and even challenging members of the audience. “Is there a problem?” Fiasco asked a student. “Yes? What are you doing about it?” Moore, while vowing to help youth empowerment, reverberated the same call for individual action. “What is the last thing anyone in this room did where in their mind they were like, ‘I’m not going to accomplish this in my lifetime? This thing isn’t going to be fixed while I’m alive, yet I’m still going to get arrested today because someday someone will [benefit].’”
“The People Speak” will air Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on the History Channel, but this isn’t a case of tuning in and tuning out.
“You have a voice,” Fiasco said. “This is it, this is your history. And it goes beyond history. History is a limited title, because it’s right now. History is being made in this moment.”
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
