The most revolutionary act

It’s easy to forget even the most powerful calls to action in today’s hyper sensory-driven world. A political movement goes in one ear and the latest celebrity squabble comes out the other.

But every now and then something true sticks and it can’t be ignored.

That’s how some of us on the IHHE team feel after Truth to Power, a 3-day multimedia extravaganza that fused art, music and politics during the DNC. It brought together movers and shakers – such as Sen. Cory Booker, Black Lives Matter founder Alicia Garza and artist extraordinaire Shepard Fairey – and dared attendees to question the status quo. We were moved by their talks, and by the realization that all three are entrepreneurs using their power for good.

Another visionary mentioned at Truth to Power was historian, playwright and activist Howard Zinn. He was quoted in a simple, yet powerful piece that was so understated in its presentation that the words had nowhere to go but deep inside our hearts and minds. It was just a quote, bold black letters illuminated by a white background. It read:

“I suppose the most revolutionary act one can engage in is to tell the truth.”

It’s part of a larger statement by Zinn found in his collection of essays, “A Power Governments Cannot Suppress.” For those not familiar with him, Zinn was a true progressive and not in a political party kind of a way, though he was that, as well. More importantly, Zinn believed in the continuous evolution of humans to become better through questioning those in power and demanding a more equal world. As a college professor, he taught some of the most enlightened minds of his generation – including “The Color Purple” author Alice Walker – and his words continue to resonate to this day.

We feel some of those words warrant repeating at a time when inequality continues to plague our world. It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that we have the power change even the most dire of circumstances if we want it badly enough:

“If those in charge of our society – politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television – can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.

But I suppose the most revolutionary act one can engage in is… to tell the truth…

The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth. Truth has a power of its own. Art has a power of its own. That age-old lesson – that everything we do matters – is the meaning of the people’s struggle here in the United States and everywhere. A poem can inspire a movement. A pamphlet can spark a revolution. Civil disobedience can arouse people and provoke us to think, when we organize with one another, when we get involved, when we stand up and speak out together, we can create a power no government can suppress. We live in a beautiful country. But people who have no respect for human life, freedom, or justice have taken it over. It is now up to all of us to take it back.”

We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”