Editor’s Note: This post is by Simon Han, a Communication Studies Major at Northwestern University who attended The People Speak College tour event on his campus last week.

I had the opportunity last Wednesday to see hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco, actor Michael Ealy, and writer Anthony Arnove when they came to Northwestern University to promote an upcoming History Channel documentary called The People Speak. Like the documentary, the event included dramatic performances of works from a range of Americans focusing especially on those left out of mainstream history books. In addition, the audience got a chance to see some clips from the movie and to participate in a Q&A session with the three guests.

I have to admit, I attended this event with mixed feelings. One word spoke to me, and it wasn’t “democracy” or “history” or “activism.” It was Lupe. A huge fan of his music, I jumped at the chance to see him in person and maybe even meet him. But I knew Lupe Fiasco wasn’t here to belt out “Superstar” to a throng of screaming, adoring fans. He was here to shine a light on the voices of everyday Americans. As he said before the event, “It’s learning about the other side of the story—the people’s side of the story.” And I didn’t know how to feel about that. These guys are celebrities. What’s really important here?

Voices. Words. Messages. People. From Michael Ealy’s and Lupe’s riveting and empathetic performances of forgotten people’s works to the equally stirring performances in the clips to the heartfelt and rational discussions during the Q&A session, I began to realize that these people were using fame as an asset for a greater cause. I started to think about issues that never crossed my mind (or if they did, I’d merely brush them aside). The slogan of the People Speak campaign is “Democracy is not a spectator sport,” and I couldn’t agree more. It’s about coming to realizations and acting upon them. “I am a part of history,” as Anthony Arnove said. At a certain point, the discussion turned to the subject of a blackface incident that occurred on the Northwestern campus the past Halloween. Two students dressed up as Bob Marley and Serena Williams but did it without understanding the history behind such an act. It’s about education. Michael Ealy said it best: “There’s the history you’re taught, and there’s the history you can learn.” If these students were educated on how blackface affected (and still affects) ordinary African-Americans, this incident could have been easily prevented.

But let’s not get too high on our horses just yet. One student asked a great question: “What next?” An event is an event. A film is a film. Sure, we may feel more knowledgeable, more proud to be Americans and more inspired to make change, but how can we be sure that anything will be different? When we leave the auditorium or turn off our TVs and venture back into reality, are we going to be any different? Lupe, as hilarious as ever, put it plainly when he said, “If someone’s yard is dirty, rake it son!” It’s about downsizing. Being individual activists. Thinking about what you can do to lessen the plight of the next man or woman next to you. It may not be your yard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help somebody clean it up.

After the Q&A session, we all watched one last clip. It was a powerful one. And not just because the renowned spoken word poet Staceyann Chin performed it, or because she performed it so well (though, really her performance is extraordinarily amazing). It was the words she spoke, the words of Marge Piercy. Piercy is an American poet, reflecting on the capacity of people to make change—if only they’d come together. To me, these words hold the power to inspire, to change history. I’ve included the poem below. Read it for yourself. And just think, without the People Speak, we may have never had the chance to know it.

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The Low Road
by Marge Piercy

What can they do
to you? Whatever they want.
They can set you up, they can
bust you, they can break
your fingers, they can
burn your brain with electricity,
blur you with drugs till you
can’t walk, can’t remember, they can
take your child, wall up
your lover. They can do anything
you can’t blame them
from doing. How can you stop
them? Alone, you can fight,
you can refuse, you can
take what revenge you can
but they roll over you.

But two people fighting
back to back can cut through
a mob, a snake-dancing file
can break a cordon, an army
can meet an army.

Two people can keep each other
sane, can give support, conviction,
love, massage, hope, sex.
Three people are a delegation,
a committee, a wedge. With four
you can play bridge and start
an organisation. With six
you can rent a whole house,
eat pie for dinner with no
seconds, and hold a fund raising party.
A dozen make a demonstration.
A hundred fill a hall.
A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;
ten thousand, power and your own paper;
a hundred thousand, your own media;
ten million, your own country.

It goes on one at a time,
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again after they said no,
it starts when you say We
and know who you mean, and each
day you mean one more.

Copyright 2006, Middlemarsh, Inc.

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The People Speak premiers December 13th at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central on the History Channel. Check it out!