Educating America’s youth about history that doesn’t always make it into textbooks is one goal of a new documentary called The People Speak. It’s a spinoff of sorts from The People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn who you may recall from an Eight Forty-Eight conversation last week. The film brings together images, music and narration with re-creations of American moments of resistance. There’s the Declaration of Independence; speeches by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.; songs by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Public Enemy; and a call to action by Cindy Sheehan among many others. Each is brought to life by one member of a star-studded cast of performers. Recording artist, music producer, and Chicago native Lupe Fiasco and author and activist Anthony Arnove discuss the film.

Events:
The documentary will air on the History Channel, Dec. 13. 

An excerpt preview of the film with Lupe Fiasco, Michael Ealy and Anthony Arnove will show at 8 tonight at Northwestern University’s Leverone Auditorium, 2100 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Ill.