ANNCR:
Now,the VOA Special English program, PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today,Shirley Griffith and Steve Ember finish the story of the life ofPaul Robeson (ROBE-a-son). He was a singer and internationalpolitical activist.
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VOICE ONE:
By the late Nineteen-Twenties, Paul Robeson had become the mosthighly praised black actor and singer of the time. During theNineteen-Thirties, he became involved in national and internationalmovements for peace, equal rights for black Americans, and betterlabor conditions. He traveled around the world singing his songs tosupport these struggles. However, his friendship with the SovietUnion brought strong opposition from conservative groups in theUnited States.
Many people in the United States opposed Robeson’s politicalbeliefs as too liberal or extreme. As early as Nineteen-Forty-One,American government agencies, led by the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, reportedly had targeted him as dangerous. Theyconsidered his political activism to be against the best interestsof the American government.
VOICE TWO:
During World War Two, the United States and the Soviet Union wereallies fighting against Nazi Germany. Robeson recorded severalRussian songs to honor the Soviet people’s defense of their landagainst the Nazi invasion. These recordings were broadcast in theSoviet Union.
Many Soviet soldiers were said to have heard Paul Robeson’s voicebefore going into battle. This is one of those songs. It is called”Native Land.”
(TAPE CUT #1: “NATIVE LAND”)
VOICE ONE:
After World War Two, relations between the United States and theSoviet Union became tense. In the late Nineteen-Forties, Americansfeared communism as a threat to their way of life. The people in theSoviet Union were denied the freedoms that Americans enjoyed. TheUnited States joined with other nations to try to halt the spread ofcommunism around the world.
In addition, the crimes of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin becamepublic. These included the killing of millions of people in theSoviet Union who opposed his policies. As a result, many formerAmerican supporters of communism stopped supporting the SovietUnion.
VOICE TWO:
Robeson, however, continued to support the Soviet Union. He stillbelieved in the idea of communism. And he believed in friendshipbetween the United States and the Soviet Union. A congressionalcommittee began investigating Americans who supported communism orwho were friends of people who supported it. The committeequestioned Robeson. He refused to say if he was a communist. Robesonsaw the questioning as an attack on the democratic rights ofeveryone who worked for international friendship and for equality.
VOICE ONE:
Robeson also was condemned in the United States because of hiscriticism of the United States government. He spoke at the WorldPeace Conference in Paris in April, Nineteen-Forty-Nine. He wasreported to have said he did not believe black Americans would fightfor the American government that oppressed them against the SovietUnion.
This statement brought a strong reaction against him from somepeople in the American press, government and public. It led torioting at a concert in New York State where Robeson was to appear.Hundreds of people were injured when crowds threw stones at peopleattending the concert.
VOICE TWO:
In Nineteen-Fifty, the American State Department withdrewRobeson’s travel document because of the political ideas heexpressed. This prevented him from leaving the United States toperform in other countries. The State Department said his travel toother countries would not be in the best interest of the UnitedStates.
Robeson also was barred from performing in many places in theUnited States. His concerts were canceled. His records werewithdrawn from stores. Record companies refused to produce newrecordings of his songs. Robeson said the actions against him wereattempts to silence artistic expression. He said they were attemptsto control whom people could hear and what they could hear.
VOICE ONE:
In Nineteen-Fifty-Two, the Mine, Mill and Smelters Workers Unionof British Columbia, Canada invited Robeson to attend its yearlymeeting. Americans do not need a passport to enter Canada. But theUnited States government barred him from entering Canada anyway. Sothe union invited him to sing at an outdoor concert in the UnitedStates.
The concert was held at Peace Arch Park. The park is in thenorthwestern state of Washington, on the border between the UnitedStates and Canada. Robeson sang to more than thirty-thousand peoplein both countries. Here is a recording from that concert. Robesonsang a famous labor union song called “Joe Hill.”
(TAPE CUT #2: “JOE HILL”)
VOICE TWO:
Robeson performed at another outdoor concert at Peace Arch Parkthe following year. At the end of the program, Robeson spoke to thethousands of people attending. He promised to continue the fight forfreedom as long as he could. Here is part of that speech.
(TAPE CUT #3: 1953 CONCERT SPEECH)
VOICE ONE:
Nineteen-Fifty Eight was an important year for Paul Robeson. Hisregained his passport that year after a Supreme Court ruling on asimilar case. The Supreme Court ruled that the State Departmentcould not withhold passports of American citizens because of theirsuspected beliefs or the groups they joined. A book he wrote abouthis life, Here I Stand, also was published. And, that same year, heperformed in a concert at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. Itwas his first appearance there in eleven years. Every seat in thehall was filled. Paul Robeson sang an African-American spiritualcalled “Didn’t My Lord Deliver.” Here is a recording from thatconcert.
(TAPE CUT #4: “DIDN’T MY LORD DELIVER”)
VOICE TWO:
Paul Robeson and his wife Essie moved to London where hecontinued to sing and act. They also visited the Soviet Union often.In Nineteen-Sixty-Three, they returned to the United States. PaulRobeson was suffering from physical and mental problems. He retiredfrom public life because of his bad health. Paul Robeson died inNineteen-Seventy-Six, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In Nineteen-Forty-Nine, Paul Robeson had written these words: “Ishall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear themelody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope…in the faceof…fear. My weapons are peaceful, for it is only by peace thatpeace can be attained. The song of freedom must prevail.”
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ANNCR: You have been listening to the story of the life of singerand political activist Paul Robeson. This Special English programwas written by Shelley Gollust and produced by Lawan Davis. Yournarrators were Shirley Griffith and Steve Ember. I’m Bob Doughty.Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on theVoice of America.