Hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco returned to Northwestern’s campus Wednesday night – this time not as a performer but as an advocate and educator.

Fiasco, actor Michael Ealy and author Anthony Arnove spoke Wednesday to more than 500 attendees as part of a campus tour to promote History’s new documentary, “The People Speak.” The performance at the Leverone Auditorium was hosted by the Center for Student Involvement and NU history prof. Nancy Maclean.

Fiasco last visited NU in May 2007 when he performed at Dillo Day.

The event took on a relaxed and easygoing tone, helped by Fiasco’s humorous yet perceptive attitude. At one point during the question-and-answer portion, Fiasco hugged a female student and convinced Ealy to do so as well.

Their history lesson on participation in democracy was presented in a format foreign to most college classrooms, which included readings by Fiasco and Ealy from the documentary and clips from the film.

Fiasco reenacted boxer Muhammad Ali’s 1966 public comments on the Vietnam War, but he said before the event the documentary is not just about notable names in history.

“There’s something about learning the other side of the story, the people side of the story so to speak,” Fiasco said. “It really is the average person, it wasn’t from the politicians, it wasn’t from the presidents, it wasn’t from the generals or anything like that…Those kind of unknown histories would just move you so much because it’s the average person.”

Arnove, co-executive producer and co-director of the documentary, said the film is based on author and documentary co-Executive Producer Howard Zinn’s works “A People’s History of the United States” and “Voices of a People’s History of the United States.”

A number of actors, musicians and celebrities were involved in the project, including actor Matt Damon and musicians Bruce Springsteen and John Legend. Arnove said it wasn’t difficult to involve such a wide range of talent.

“All of these people aren’t up there (in the documentary) because we paid them – which we didn’t,” Arnove said to laughter from the audience. “They’re up there because they believe in this message.”

The message, found in the documentary’s tagline, “Democracy is not a spectator sport,” is told in celebrity performances of letters, diaries and other historical documents, along with archival footage and interviews.

Ealy said they brought the documentary to college campuses because college is the “last place where there’s a strong sense of community in your life.”

“The youth start a lot of movements,” Ealy said. “You guys can spread the word like nobody in the business.”

Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis, said History channel representatives pitched the performance to him and he was very interested in hosting the event. Banis said afterward he was “really pleased” with the event.

SESP senior Corey Winchester said seeing the three celebrities in attendance was motivational for students.

“When people see their role models in this capacity, they look up to that and that can be the inspiration they need,” he said.

Fiasco said America’s history is one long story of struggle and seeing the completed film made him “proud to be an American.”

“The one binding factor in all of (the stories) is that we’re American,” he said. “We’re a nation of strugglers.”[email protected]