Paul Robeson Speaks

644 Pages·1982·78.842 MB·English

by  Paul Robeson

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.
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Manufactured in the United States of America
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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