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Paul Robeson Speaks PDF

644 Pages·1982·78.842 MB·English
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/paulrobesonspeakOOrobe PAUL ROBESON SPEAKS Speaks WRITINGS • SPEECHES • INTERVIEWS 1918-1974 Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by PHILIP S. FONER A CITADEL PRESS BOOK Published by Carol Publishing Group TITLE PAGE; Addressing dinner for Henry A. Wallace, New York, September 12, 1949 PICTURE CREDITS: Title, 241, 496, 623—Wide World Photos; 2, 47, 242, 484, 586, 590—United Press International; 25, 26, 65, 78, 133—Radio Times Hulton Pictvire Library, London; 48, 134—Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; 66—Schomburg Center, The New York Public Library; 459 —Henry Grant, London; 460—Paul Roberson Archives, German Democratic Republic; 483—Photoworld; 495—Camera Press, London A portion of the royalties from PAUL ROBESON SPEAKS is being donated to the Paul Robeson Audio-Visual Room of the Moorland- Spingarn Research Library at Howard University Law School, Washington, D.C. Copyright © 1978 by Brunner/Mazel, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except by A Citadel Press Book a newspaper or magazine reviewer who wishes Published by Carol Publishing Group to quote brief passages in connection with a review. Editorial Offices 600 Madison Avenue Queries regarding rights and permissions New York, NY 10022 should be addressed to: Carol Communications, 600 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 Sales & Distribution Offices 120 Enterprise Avenue Manufactured in the United States of America Secaucus, NJ 07094 ISBN 0-8065-0815-9 In Canada; Musson Book Company A division of General Publishing Co. Limited 10 98765432 Don Mills, Ontario Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976. Paul Robeson speaks. Bibliography: p. 587 Includes index. 1. Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976. 2. Afro-Americans— Biography. 3. Afro-American arts—Collected works. 4. Afro-Americans—Civil rights—Collected works. 5. Afro-Americans—Politics and suffrage—Collected works. 6. Blacks—Civil rights—Collected works. I. Foner, Philip Sheldon, 1910- II. Title. E 185.97. R63 790.2’092’4 78-17590 PREFACE It was one of my greatest privileges that I knew Paul Robeson and shared the platform with him on more than one occasion. Those who knew or simply came in contact with this giant of a man during his lifetime never forgot him—whether as the great all-around college athlete and All-American football end, as the actor personally chosen by Eugene O’Neill for his Emperor Jones or acclaimed for his magnificent, record-breaking Othello, as the singer of Negro spirituals and the folk songs of all nations, or as the early and lifelong fighter for peace, for socialism, and for the liberation of his own and all oppressed people. By the time of his death on January 23, 1976, at the age of 77, Paul Robeson had already become a legend to thousands upon thousands of Americans, despite persecution and suppression. He was equally or even more well known in scores of countries throughout the world where he had spoken and sung and where his records were familiar to millions. From the vantage point of history, the full impact of his life’s work, the far-ranging scope of his interests, are only now beginning to be appreciated as more and more people are becoming aware of his early and tremendous contributions to many of the struggles still under way today. Two years after Robeson’s death, on the occasion of his 80th birthday in April 1978, the United Nations Special Committee Against Apart- heid held a three-hour public tribute to Robeson "for his contributions in the fight for colonial independence in Africa and the liberation struggle in South Africa”—a meeting addressed by colleagues and representatives of governments, trade unions, and peace organizations. At the same time in Detroit—the city where in 1940 Robeson participated in the successful CIO campaign to organize Ford—a full Commemorative Week of entertainment and educational programs was held under the joint sponsorship of Wayne State University and the Afro-American Museum of Detroit. In announcing the event. Mayor Coleman A. Young said: Paul Robeson gave all of himself to the struggle for equality, freedom and peace. His artistry and his genius, together with his indomitable courage established him as one of our greatest Americans. Those who still recall that soul stirring voice, who still remember the dramatic impact of his stage presence and who still recollect the vigor and the steadfastness with which he maintained his principles will want to join in keeping alive the spirit and the memory of Paul Robeson. For those who know only his name, it is more important than ever that they become acquainted with and understand the magnificent legacy he has left . . . It was to make available this "magnificent legacy” that I began several years ago to prepare this annotated collection of Paul Robeson’s writings and speeches. While it is impossible for any single volume to encompass the full richness of this remarkable life, I have endeavored to provide a selection representative of the many aspects of Robeson’s thoughts and activities and of the broad range of causes and issues to which he dedicated his life. To understand Paul Robeson, one must read what he himself said and wrote, and it should become clear to the reader why, increasingly, Robeson is being referred to as "The Great Forerunner.” Along with Robeson’s own words, I have included interviews and news reports which show the changing attitudes of the press as his public statements became more radical and antithetic to the establish- ment. Except for the correction of obvious typographic errors in the originals, no changes have been made. The word "Negro” therefore appears with a capital "N” or a small "n” according to its contemporary source. During his lifetime, Paul Robeson was attacked and, as Andrew Young put it, "buried alive politically” in his own country for his steadfast stand in behalf of peace and freedom—not only for his own people but for the working people and the oppressed throughout the world. Now it is time to let him speak again for himself. PHILIP S. FONER May 1978 Lincoln University, Pennsylvania VI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The compilation of this volume would have been impossible without the kind cooperation of the staffs of many historical societies and libraries. I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude first to Brigitte Boegelsack, director, and the staff of the Paul Robeson Archives, Berlin, German Democratic Republic, for kindly permitting free and unlimited access to the vast collections of the Archives when I was in the German Democratic Republic, and furnishing me with copies of materials requested. I also wish to thank the staffs of the Schomburg Collection of the New York Public Library, the British Museum, the Library of Columbia University, the Library of Con- gress, the Libraries of Howard, Fisk, Atlanta, Princeton, Wayne State, Rutgers, and Harvard Universities, the Tamiment Institute of the Library of New York University, and the Library of the University of California-Berkeley, as well as Crystella Kauka, Interlibrary Loans Librarian, Hawaii State Library, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tillie A. Pevzner, Institute for Retired Professionals of the New York School for Social Research. I am grateful also to Harriet Williams, director. Interlibrary Loan Department, Langston Hughes Memorial Library, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, for assistance in obtaining materi- als from various parts of this country and Europe, and to other members of the staff of the library for their cooperation. Thanks also to my brother, Henry Foner, for his help in the preparation of the manuscript and for having read the manuscript and made valuable suggestions, and to Ella Mazel, who took several months away from her own work to design, edit, and produce this book because she loved Paul Robeson. • • VII CONTENTS i Preface / v Acknowledgments / vii Paul Robeson: Great Artist, Great American / Introduction by Philip S. Foner / 3 A Paul Robeson Chronology / 27 IN COLLEGE Review of the 1917 Football Season / Rutgers Alumni Quarterly, 1918 / 49 The Fourteenth Amendment: ”The Sleeping Giant of the American Constitution” / Thesis, Rutgers University, May 19, 1919 / 53 The New Idealism / Graduation oration, Rutgers University, June 1919 / 62 IN THE TWENTIES Paul Robeson Talks of His Possibilities / N. Y. Herald-Tribune, July 6, 1924 / 67 An Actor’s Wanderings and Hopes / The Messenger, October 1924 / 68 Reflections on O’Neiirs Plays / Opportunity, December 1924 / 69 Paul Robeson and the Theatre / William Frank, Every Evening, Wilmington, Delaware, October 4, 1926 / 71 The Source of the Negro Spirituals / Sulamith Ish-Kishor, Jewish Tribune, July 22, 1927 / 73 Robeson in London Can’t Explain His Success / London Evening News and African World, reprinted in Baltimore Afro-American, September 22, 1928 / 76 IN THE THIRTIES Paul Robeson Speaks about Art and the Negro / T. Thompson, The Mitigate, London, December 1930 / 79 Paul Robeson and Negro Music / N.Y. Times, April 5, 1931 / 81 Thoughts on the Colour Bar / The Spectator, London, August 8, 1931 / 82 VIII

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