[Howard Zinn raw #56: Ray Mungo is interviewed on the impact Zinn has had on him]

Interview with Ray Mungo about Howard Zinn.

0:06Copy video clip URL Camera opens on Ray Mungo talking about how Howard Zinn was one of the first people on the East Coast to publicly question the Vietnam War. He talks about a debate Zinn had with another professor about the war at Boston University, which had a fairly conservative administration and a large military presence. He talks about the evolution of the issue at BU, and Zinn’s continued support for students against the war. 

5:25Copy video clip URL Mungo talks about Zinn’s speaking style, which he calls “inspiring, impassioned,” and “calming.” He talks about teach-ins that Zinn used to help host, and explains the concepts they talked about. He discusses some of the other activist movements present on the BU campus, like supporting underpaid dining workers. He says that eventually Zinn’s activism led to conflict between him and the university’s administration. 

13:45Copy video clip URL They talk about his “inter-generational personality,” and his ability to relate to students. He talks about people that did not support Zinn and reacted negatively to him, including newspapers, parents, and other professors. He talks about Zinn’s writing style and its accessibility. 

19:15Copy video clip URL The interviewers ask what Zinn meant to him personally. Mungo responds that Zinn was a role model for him as a writer and political thinker, and that he supported and validated the point of view of young people. He says that he believes activism in the 60’s fundamentally changed the state of the USA. He talks about being drafted, tearing up his draft notice, and giving an anti-war speech after. He discusses how Zinn was one of the only authority figures that would support breaking the law by defying the draft.

26:35Copy video clip URL They talk about Zinn’s history in activism during the civil rights movement, and Zinn’s legacy in today’s world. 

30:55Copy video clip URL The interview ends and they talk a little bit about the Zinn project they are undertaking, who they should talk to, and what kind of conflict they want to introduce into the piece. 

35:52Copy video clip URL Video ends.