The People Speak is a beautiful and moving documentary film inspired by Howard Zinnâs books A Peopleâs History of the United Statesâone of the best-selling history books in the United Statesâand Voices of a Peopleâs History of the United States, the primary-source companion to A Peopleâs History of the United States, edited with Anthony Arnove. The film features the actual words (in letters, songs, poems, speeches, and manifestos) of rebels, dissenters, and visionaries from our pastâand presentâincluding Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Bob Dylan, Langston Hughes, Chief Joseph, Muhammad Ali, and unknown veterans, union workers, abolitionists, and many others never featured in high school textbooks. These dramatic moments from our history are brought to life by a group of remarkable musicians and actors. Like Howard Zinnâs work as a whole, The People Speak celebrates the extraordinary possibilities for creating social change that ordinary people have realized throughout the course of our nationâs rich but often ignored history of dissent and protest. The People Speak is produced by Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Chris Moore, Anthony Arnove, and Howard Zinn, co-directed by Moore, Arnove and Zinn, and features dramatic and musical performances by Allison Moorer, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Robinson, Christina Kirk, Danny Glover, Darryl âDMCâ McDaniels, David Strathairn, Don Cheadle, Eddie Vedder, Harris Yulin, Jasmine Guy, John Legend, Josh Brolin, Kathleen Chalfant, Kerry Washington, Lupe Fiasco, Marisa Tomei, MartÃn Espada, Matt Damon, Michael Ealy, Mike O'Malley, Morgan Freeman, P!nk, Qâorianka Kilcher, Reg E. Cathey, Rich Robinson, Rosario Dawson, Ry Cooder, Sandra Oh, Sean Penn, Staceyann Chin, Van Dyke Parks, and Viggo Mortensen. Narrated by Howard Zinn. Howard Zinn (1922â2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. He wrote the classic A Peopleâs History of the United States, which has sold more than 2.6 million copies.