Paul Robeson sings to Scottish miners (1949)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2025
- Extract from Mining Review 2nd Year No. 11 (1949)
The highlight of this 1949 issue is the visit of American actor and singer Paul Robeson to Woolmet Colliery near Edinburgh. Robeson was also a renowned (and often persecuted) left-wing political activist and he made several visits to British mining communities. On this occasion he sings "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night" for miners in the canteen, a song about an American trade unionist who was allegedly framed on a murder charge and executed in 1915. Robeson had long been something of a hero to the British mining community, ever since he starred in the film Proud Valley (d. Pen Tennyson, 1940) as an American sailor stranded in Cardiff who finds work in a Welsh colliery (the newsreel opens with a short clip from the film).
I grew up in USSR, where Paul Robeson was a darling. We learned Joe Hill song in English class by heart. I still remember every word.
Greetings from France , Elena !
it breaks my heart eah time (often) I think of your Peoples loss ( and the Worlds ) ,
when your County's Choir and Orchestra were murdered in Syria.
The very fact that in the U.S.S.R. you could listen to Paul , shows the Cultural Freedoms you enjoyed. MY Dad escaped from Eesti, at the end of the War, and in his country, seems there was less freedom ?
That’s amazing! In the US we never get a chance to learn about Joe Hill or the labor struggle. I knew nothing until I joined the IWW
@@davidmitchell2926 Music Is universal. Cymru am Byth.🏴
I'm Swedish (as was Joe Hill) and I actually believed that some of his songs were childrens songs! 😸
Side note; Russia never had African slaves, but they did have Russian slavery.
No one would have faulted Robeson for exclusively focusing on the struggles of his own people in America against racist oppression. But he was a man of such vast and genuine heart that he truly cared about the plight of all people struggling against injustice the world over, and he lent his voice to all of them.
I think that is what made his legacy so strong: He didn't fight for one race, but the whole world's working people.
When working class stick together, we reign in solidarity 💪🏻💪🏿
Martin Luther King started talking this way before he died, the Poor Peoples Campaign.
Brilliant point ☝️
Another way to look at this, is that he recognized that he was a part of working struggle and it was going to take the workers as a whole to change the world. No matter what part of the world we live in, or what our personal, individual struggles are, it's important for us to do the work to understand how they're all connected - that way we can fight a big fight instead of a small one.
Actually the black liberation struggle has long since been an international struggle. Robenson understood this which is why he was an internationalist
My dad was a miner nearly all his life and always spoke respectfully of Mr Robson,now l know why. Thank you Mr Robson for giving hard working men some dignity.
My mother was fortunate to have met him as well.
And thanks to all coalminers who worked in awful conditions to keep us all warm...the often forgotten people as we used to stoke the fires.
George Job - mine too George. Lanarkshire had its fair share of disasters.
Christopher Fisher How wonderful!!
as if whites need a black to do that
It's called respect. Mr. Robeson was showing respect to the Scottish miners and their profession and in return, the Scottish miners listened intently to the song and applauded Mr. Robeson when he finished singing. Respect ---- why is it missing so much in everyday civilization?
Because the constant attacks on unions and socialism has made solidarity a dirty word?
You are correct and unfortunately in the UK, trade unions are not so powerful as there were in the 1960s and 1970s.
Power to the unions!!!
@@GreenLad38 Solidarity forever!
Because some people don't want it that way. They look for differences and the past to throw things in peoples faces. Most people do not seek power. Identity politics has helped America fall. Paul Robeson can make one want to cry. I have a place in my heart for miners. My grandfathers were coal miners in the days when it was far more dangerous and the pay was low and there were no benefits. In the days when they had to physically fight for their rights. Americans have forgot their labor history and what men and women did for workers rights. Boy and girls have to be made stronger, then we'll have better men and women in the world. Blessings to Mr. Robeson, a man highly respected in the UK, more so than the US.
@@michaelmisczuk1188 I’ve seen people lambasting the “violent history of the labor movement” on LinkedIn to look more appealing for hires. Sadge.
Mr. Robeson came to Australia in 1960 and created quite a stir when he sang for the dock workers by the waters edge at Sydney Harbour. He sang “Joe Hill” then too and before that “Old Man River”. In perfect pitch. His voice was like honey, even at that age and was just as powerful. My father adored him, so I bought him a rare album of his back in the 70’s. He had tears in his eyes when I gave it to him.
Wow that's very nice. Bless your Father.
Paul Robeson was such an incredible man. May his memory live forever
Liam Horton Absolutely.
Amen..he was a giant!
Robeson was a vile Communist who supported Stalin's genocides.
Weeping comes easily when knowing how the "machine" tried to quell this powerhouse of a man who tried so hard for not only his own people but humanity as a whole. He never succumbed but stood tall on every level ... r.i.p well, good man !!
@@JRobbySh Few would know the very intimate details but there are always those disturbing aspects that sober us !!
Tried? No, there is no " tried ". They killed him.
In reply to William Young: Paul Robeson was a union organizer. During the Great Depression, the workers and the dispossessed of all colors finally understood that they shared a common struggle and a common oppressor in the moneyed elite who profited as they fought one another for scraps from the rich man's table. These men and women united, fought together, and many died together to change the status quo. They understood that united they were strong, and they made great strides to better the lives of the common people. Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, Joe Hill, and many more stood in solidarity to bring us the union. The American people have very short historical memories and have allowed the plutocrats to demonize unions and erode those hard-won rights. UNION!
Someone murdered my grandma's first husband in the 1930s for trying to start a union. A ton of bricks fell on him.
Never even paid death benefits.
@James Henderson No-one should be prosecuted or persecuted for their ideology!
@James Henderson That was indeed a mistake - but he was pro-Soviet Union at the time - everyone makes mistakes - especially artists who are as far removed from slick diplomats as ever could be imagined
CT Boutte Tänk att han sjunger om en Gävlepojke!
@James Henderson The Hungarian uprising in 56 was explicitly antisemitic and fascist
My Mum took me to see Paul Robeson when he sang and talked at Birmingham Town Hall. It must have been on that same visit to Britain in 1949. I was seven years old but remember clearely his rendition of Ole Man River. We had a record of him singing it -- with B side Sixteen Tons -- for years (a 78 of course).
my dad saw that and my grandad knew him 😁
Thankfully a great many of his recordings have been reissued on CD. I have personally listened to many different versions of "Old Man River" by Robeson and others, and his 1932 recording is the best of them all. His Columbia CD of "Songs of Free Men" is an outstanding collection of just what the title implies and the 1942 recordings are utterly pristine.
Cool memory!! Thanks. Be well
It was a 78 and so are you! Or soon to be... Beat me by 4!👍😉
Nice to hear that.
The way the workmen look at him while he's singing is so touching...Tribute to hard-working men and women all around the world!
Even with the minimal recording tech for this newsreel, that amazing voice rings through. What a gift.
This video is amazingly put together for the time.
this video delivers
Yes, that voice.
Update 2020: He's gay and singing - "You're all racist and should kiss my boots"
Difficultfuckhead You are aptly named! Go away!!
UNION! The look on the faces of the workers as they listen is heart warming.
For a similar response from a more recent celebrity look up Bill Murray reading poetry to NYC union workers building the Poets House. One poem in particular drew tears from some of the workers' eyes.
Solidarity among the people is exactly what some in government fear. Americans are scared of the word "socialism", but we already have some socialist laws and practices while remaining a democratic country. Not bad to use whatever ideology can help the people. Communism has been turned into totalitarianism in Russia, China, Cuba, etc. More fascist than leftist. That's a worry, authoritative rule is taking hold here and that is something to fear. UNIONS ? If large companies have lobbyists, lawyers, lots of money, etc to hold over the workers, why can't the workers organize to fight for fairness?? UNIONS already changed so much in the workplace and some have forgotten all those hard won rights and fair play gained by a Union. Nothing is perfect, but Unions do help.
That's exactly what i thought and felt just now.
My beloved grandfather was a coal miner, and I was just a lassie when Paul Robeson made this visit to Scotland 🏴. I have loved his voice ever since I can remember.
H’Alicia Blessings to you from Canada! Many Scottish ancestors here, and coal miners too.
Snodge Kat
Thank you, and blessings to Canada too. I have an uncle and cousins who went to beautiful Canada too.
And Paul Robeson loved Stalin's career.
Fabien Dubord
Yes, unfortunately he liked communism. However, as a lassie in 1949 I loved his voice. We knew nothing of his politics. In the following year 1950 we enjoyed a visit from a French uncle, François Dubord!
@@aliciarobertson4979 Liked communism? It's a bit more than that. He actively promoted and defended Stalinism.
When Paul Robeson starts singing his first note already turns my innards upside down and inside out. What is it about a voice that can do this to people? And singing front of the miners, a cappella, so full of feeling - well it just doesn't come much better than this.
Great singer. One of the best.
This man was a lawyer. This man played in the NFL and that is just the start. what an amazing life.
Paul Robeson a man who didn't see colour or creed when he looked at a man, he only saw a fellow human being struggling and he wanted to help. If only he were here now to set this wonderful example of a truly good and well intentioned soul. Our loss!!
@James Henderson Yeah grear guy all around! Long live Stalin! Long live Robeson!
@James Henderson So? I would too Hungary was reactionary nest and so it was sadly necessity to fight against reactionaries and foreign powers. He knew how rotten west was and he had witnessed how progressive and good USSR was. He also received treatment for depression in DDR after many years of no results in west, and he was cured. It's almost as if it's our system creates problems it can not solve.
@James Henderson No he didn't. Seriously you are most likely worker, you shouldn't buy into borgouise bullshit. You have to realize that rich will never ever support agenda that's against their interest, likewise neither will workers or someone who understands dialectical materialism. I highy highy encourage you to do some reading. That whether or not you want to do is up to you. But I'm willing to help if you want.
He did see color and creed, it just didn't hinder him from treating everyone with respect and kindness.
@@TheLemonsims As everyone should be this way. Watch your back, but reach out and care for a fellow man.
As a child, i listened over and over again to paul robeson's "songs of freedom" album. it helped form my social conscience. how moving to hear him sing "joe hill" to the scottish miners. and also moving to read everyone's comments. and to share this beautiful piece with my grandson. the persecution of paul robeson was a sin. his voice and heart were great gifts.
WoW an actual celebrity who actually does real charity and actually went through the struggles of his fans what a man
He had a very strong bond with the miners of South Wales too.
Fuck "celebrities"
As a person whose family worked the Scottish mines and shipyards, and used to live in the States for nearly 30 years, and is a big fan of the man that Paul Robson was, this hits home! Cheers from Scotland.
A great man. One of the most beautiful basso profundo voices I have ever heard. I've been listening to his recordings for 50 years.
Makes me cry for the continued suffering of workers across the world. Joe Hill will never die.
I love the Scottish people, my dad used to play Paul Robeson songs when I was little, I would fall asleep listening too the crackling of the 78 records and the beautiful voice of he Mr P Robeson.
That baritone rendition of the folk song Joe Hill to the miners was beautiful: both the song master and the audience! What a piece of history! Mil gracias!
My father collected him from the Wellington airport in NZ some time in the 1950s....he shook my hand and I was in awe. His voice rang through our house much of the time
Wow, that's something to cherish.
For my fellow Celts I hope everyone else knows those men were in awe of Mr Robeson.
Look at the recognition of their toil in the souls of the miner when this beautiful man sings before them. Lovely indeed.
Paul Robeson stood up for what he believed. He was a highly educated and intelligent man but was limited in the work he could find. It was normal in his day to be labeled a communist when fighting for civil rights. Whether he really was or not would have made no difference. He was a strong man and it showed in everything he did.
Brings tears to my eyes,look at those men's faces and that voice,men were men not just soul something more,life in a voice.
A million thanks for this video,i only have one of his films,as a young man BBC put his films on i always admired him.
My thanks to all those who worked in the bowels of the Earth so we might feel the warmth. Always loved sound of the Welsh male voice choirs and especially that wonderful man... Paul Robeson.
I’m the son of a Bevin Boy and my late wife was the granddaughter of a miner, I found this terribly emotional.
When I hear Mr. Robeson sing it gives me goosebumps. He has one of the deepest voices I have ever heard.
Paul Robeson was a big man, in every way, which is why the racist, the bigots and such hated him.
Absolutely. Critics used to call him the black Superman and it's not hard to see why. He embodied everything that Superman represented.
James Henderson because he defended gulags.
@@pennyawful861 Yep. Traitors deserve no less.
Gulags were the nice option.
And better conditions than most american prisons.
And thy were paid a living wage.
It weren't traitors it was political enemies of the regime that were ruthlessly removed from their family by the secret police. It was those who were merely suspected of disagreeing with the revolutionary cause. You are a very sad human being. If I can even call you a human being.
@@pennyawful861 Something like 25% of the occupants of the gulag system, which ceased to exist after Stalin and was adapted from the old Tsarist prison system, were there for political crimes. These political crimes included the operation of a fascistic fifth-column in the Soviet military, the engagement in espionage on behalf of foreign, capitalist powers, etc. One should obviously not uphold everything Stalin did, but he was a wildly gentler leader than Churchill, who it's still acceptable to venerate publically despite the literally millions of people he helped kill in Bengal
My parents admired him and so did I. Sadly, the generations to come may never hear of him.
He was once one of the most famous people on earth, and then written out of history.
@@jimbobjimjim6500
So true.
What a great man he was. An example of real courage.
My great uncle was 12 when he went down the mines at a private mining village at Standburn, near Falkirk in 1915. His dad, a miner had died in Ypres and Uncle Bob was tall enough to work. My great-grandma Kirsty also worked pulling the carts to help bring in money when her husband died.
My mother used to tell of how she heard Robeson sing on this very tour, but in England, at the cinema in Gateshead. It was a special memory of hers.
a wonderful man love and peace to his eternal soul from Scotland
Singing lessons in primary school 1964, 8/9 yr olds trying to sing Paul Robeson.
It makes me smile looking back..
His voice always makes me tear up; it's so beautiful.
I don't see "race" or "color" here, I just see men who lived through a lot of discrimination, persecution, and exploitation and thus share a common humanity.
And Stalin did not exploit as many people as the whole loy of coral miners? Huge camps full of forced labor. Millions died because he chose to ally with Hitler in 1939. He knew he was enabling Hitler to go to war against the West, expecting the French and British to engage in a renewal of the War as it was fought in 1918. The German victory surpassed him. but he still kept supplying the Germans with oil.
That's too bad Paul Robeson wanted you to know he was a dignified black man.
Btw, I bet you don't tell white people you don't see color. Saying that is an insult to black people since we are the only ones who hear it.
@@theresag1969 If you want to see "race" or "color" be my guest because I do not. In fact, the only people I hear talking ad nauseam about "race" and "color" are Americans, particularly the SJW type. And yes, I am not afraid to tell people that I don't see "color".
@@ricardolucioortiz2549 - Actually, you should be able to see color vividly and to respect its many variations. Diversity is seeing color and respecting the spectrum. When I see white people, I see color because of the history of racism, but I also see them as human beings.
@@nkwari You are entitled to your opinion and I can see your perspective. But that particular ideological approach no longer defines me as a person. I have erased "race" and "color" from my mindset and it has been liberating. Perhaps because I have traveled around the world my eyes have been opened and I have seen the Truth. The construct of "racism" exists in many parts of the world and it is expressed in many different manners, some more obvious than others. Yet "racism" is not a permanent feature of either an individual or a group, it's something learned and reinforced by the surrounding environment as well as by the observance of certain exclusionary traditions and customs. But that's human nature, it's flawed, it's imperfect. Still, because human beings change gradually over time so too do their ideas. I have moved on from a belief that my "color-coded" identity was essential to my person, it is not. Paul Robeson made common cause with men from a different country. He connected with them and they, in turn, connected with him.
That must have lifted those men's spirits tremendously and given them something positive 2 remember.
Mining was such a harsh brutal environment.....
Bless him 4 being able 2 give those men a positive, heartfelt gift....
Fr across the waters
Canada 🇨🇦
🐥🐥🐥hugs and all that jazz
The arse fell out of coal mining in Scotland not long after (seem to remember grandad talking about an underground fire) my grandparents took a transfer to another mine in England as did many others
The first record I had was bought for me second hand by my parents to play on my Dansette record player , in the late 1950 s. , it was Paul Robesons “Old Man River “ and the B side was “My Lindy Lou “ Just loved the depth of that voice ❤️❤️🏴🇬🇧
What a voice, he is so soulful. Thanks
My dad always rated him very highly and I always understood why. He was maligned by his country and treated badly. As for singing what is there to say. He is the best singer I've ever heard. He doesn't need backing music or a microphone. He was simply incredible.
A GREAT SOCIALIST AND A MAN OF THE PEOPLE !!!!
socialism sucks.
i don't think you even understand the term
@@vlastamolak1156 he was a socialist
@@vlastamolak1156 of course, Stalin had to murder 90+% of the Bolsheviks Party to rule....the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the people Stalin put in power in the purges still rule Russia today.
@@vlastamolak1156 the Bolsheviks were the main targets of Stalin's persecution...just as working-class radicals were the main targets of Mao.
Putin has done nothing to make Russia prosperous, unless you are part of the ruling class in Moscow and Petersburg.
He was a man to emulate. I was fascinated by him when a child. I marvel at his voice and the man he was.
Wow... God gifted this man tremendously....
And he returned the favor to the people. RIP, Sir. 🙏🏾💞🙏🏼💞🙏🏿💞🙏🏻💞
I have not heard of this remarkable American until now. A lawyer, opera singer, football star?!! I will search more about him. Thank you so much for posting this beautiful video!
Born in 1946 I was told about Paul Robeson by my parents who met him in London and revered his spirit. Coming to the United States in the 1980's I have found very few who ever heard of him - with the exception of dear Ella Mazel an old style leftie from New York. Robeson has been more or less "cancelled" from American history.
What a wonderful voice. My family were miners not too far away from there and everyone sang in our family (and we still do) and all of us have never been racist. In the UK people are just people.
This is a classic! This man , in my mind is the greatest America ever produced.
A great fighter for the working class.He only ever did good
Paul Robeson singing to Scottish miners and visiting them at their pit. How many so called super star singers today go to factories and perform for working men and women? They may earn millions more than he ever did and spout the correct views, but they are not fit to clean Paul Robeson's boots.
Yeah, like defending the Soviet Union while they murdered his Jewish friends! What a hero!
@@emailvonsour He didn't support the Soviet Union of Stalin, it wasn't his yo begin with. He was in support of the Soviet Citizens and their Union.
@ Good for him. The so called capitalists didn't even thank their own black citizens for fighting in a European war.
@@ibrahimyange1528 Он очень уважал и Сталина. Поль Робсон в своей статье "To you beloved comrade", датированной апрелем 1953 года, называл Сталина своим вождем, восхищался его глубокой человечностью, мудрым пониманием, добротой и уверенностью.
What agreat man and such a lovely voice. It must have been an honour to be asked to sing by those miners. Those guys were special people.
One of the most amazing songs I have ever heard, There will never be another Paul Robeson.
" I never died said he" Keep that in mind!!!! These are perilolus times!!!
What great appreciation from those miners and their all to Paul.No discrimination here only love.
What a great voice. What a great man as well.
this moved me to rears. such a wonderful voice and such a great man
Love this, who on earth would give this a thumbs down #letrobesonsing
Ross everyone is allowed an opinion, and here is mine of the thumbsdowners: BAWBAGS!🤬
This is the most brilliant thing. The dignity of the worker expressing itself in, and appreciating, great art, across all cultures and peoples.
This made me cry. Lovely to see all those miners enjoying his singing.
Those times make me want to cry. Everything about it, the fashion, the mannerisms, the antiquities. down to the style of tiles used in the buildings. They all remind me of my grandfolks.
The joy and reverence on the miners faces brought tears to my eyes. What a great video!
I thought that too!
We used to watch paul when he came to the Scottish miners gala
In edinburgh he is a piece of great history in music he is a lovely man.
True hero. A genuinely gifted man in many ways. RIP beautiful soul.
Blessings from Wolverhampton England 🙂
Easily one of my favorite singers to study, not only was he steadfast in his political activism and sought to use his music to spread messages of liberation around the world, Paul Robeson was just a very good singer in general, easily one of the best examples of a "basso profondo" in the history of western folk music. His voice immediately stands out, as he seems to do in this film where he's clearly a bit taller than everyone else.
Just simply a wonderful human being, fighting for the underprivileged in society,I wish he were still here in Tory run secular UK.
@James Henderson Ah well James he must have turned coat, cheers for that info anyway.
@@jimduffy1967 - For more information and nuance, please read www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/06/10/when-muhammad-ali-endorsed-ronald-reagan/.
My grandfather was a miner. I thank you Mr. Robson this was/is wonderful.
This is the first I’ve heard of Paul Robeson and I’m impressed by his golden voice
An amazing man, such talent, wonderful voice, great actor, great orator, his life touched millions, went to Russia after the war and lived there for a time, gave talks to the Russian people, Paul later said of his time in Russia, that was the most comfortable walking the streets, nobody cared about his colour, he felt perfectly at home.
You could actually fell the respect & admiration in the room.
Paul Robson visited Blaengwynfi a village in the Afan Valley near Port Talbot, South Wales, this is where my father's mother came from. He is said to have declared that he had never seen such poverty.
This video should be compulsory viewing for blacks who believe in white privilege, that we live in mansions built on their ancestors' backs.
The greatest bass singer of all time I have his record Emperor of song my favourites "Just a -wearyin for you" & "I still suits me" He was fantastic what a voice, I also have Rebroff also a great base Cheers, Tippo, GB.
The song is called Joe Hill. It was about a swedish migrant who came to USA changed his name and became a union man.
How wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
The wee bairn top right hand corner behind Paul Robeson, he must have had something to tell his mates and to remember all his days.
You are right gegemec and I hope he is still alive today and he will remember.Jim.Liverpool.
Now there stands a MAN! Courage, heart, genius!
No matter how many times i hear him sing Joe Hill, i still get chills.
A generous man with a kind, noble heart!
One of the best voices... ever!..smooth. It was lovely to hear him 💜
Wonderfully talented man and a caring pure heart who understood injustice and tried to fight for change.😧
Now THAT is a REAL gentleman!
A great man. A great revolutionary. Workers of the world unite!✊🏾
Paul Robeson singing the Ballad of Joe Hill!
Bugger, I'm tearing up!
Wow! I'm so glad I came across this. ❤
Comrade Paul Robeson, you will NEVER be forgotten!
I'm grateful that this is available for us to see it now.
2:26 miner with a missing finger - no doubt a common injury amongst the brave men that danced with devil in those godforsaken places.
Work with machinery and you are likely to lose a digit. Happened to my Dad and my father in law
@@JRobbySh My dad too, and more than just a finger.
A groundbreaking film on so many fronts. Set the standard for black cinema, set the standard for musicals and set the standard for Leftist cinema. An underrated masterpiece.
...."the copper bosses killed, Joe!" - Joe Hill organized the workers in unions against oppression.
"The copper bosses they shot you, Joe,
They filled you full of lead
'Takes more than guns to kill a man'
Says Joe, 'And I ain't dead'
Says Joe, 'And I ain't dead.'
And standing there as big as life
And smiling with his eyes
Says Joe, 'What they forgot to kill'
'Went on to organize'
'Went on to organize.' "
Many versions of the same idea in this song exist!
Are you surprised that Joe Hill was a native of Sweden?
I love Paul Robeson the singer for his talent - what a voice - and Robeson the activist for his intelligence and honesty - what a man.
Whatever they called him, Negro or Black or socialist - he made it a label of honour. Oh, how I admire him completely.
Greetings from Sweden!
Paul Robeson was such a STRONG AWESOME POWERFUL TOUGH BLACK MAN!!!! HE SPEAKS WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY!!!!
What a great man! For me he typifies a man who just wants to be accepted by his fellow man, and if his talents are also recognised, that is an extra blessing. I would love to have met him..
You know all those hard working miners were about to start crying. Because that song reflects collective memories all the pain and suffering of 200 years of grandfathers, fathers, brothers, uncles, working and dying in the coal mines. Then 12 y.o. sons dropping out of school to take over dad's job. Just to keep food on the table.
Truly brilliant and sincere man! Love
wow, a man of his status appearing at the Woolmet. ! about 2 miles from me, and the place I learned my colliery training!
See my reply above.
Incredible singer and an even more incredible man. He led a remarkable life and championed some great causes.
Yes - genocide.
What a man! This video is touching. Thank you sm.
A giant of a man both physically and philosophically. A great humanitarian.
@James Henderson interesting viewpoint. What a shame he's no longer with us so you can't tell him face-to-face 😏
@James Henderson Apparently he was also empathetic towards Chairman Mao (who wasn't at the top of everyone's Christmas card list). Here's an extract from Robeson's 1953 New World Revue eulogy to Comrade Joe: "Colonial peoples today look to the Soviet Socialist Republics. They see how under the great Stalin millions like themselves have found a new life. They see that aided and guided by the example of the Soviet Union, led by their Mao Tse-tung, a new China adds its mighty power to the true and expanding socialist way of life." How do you think this impacts on the current Black Lives Matter activists and their policy of historical revisionism / correction? What about the paradox of a man of colour (Robeson) offering obvious support to slavers? I assume you won't be taking the knee for Robeson?Obviously ALL lives matter but, as ever, things are never quite as simple or obvious as they may seem; remember that Robeson was living during the height of McCarthyism and had seen disinformation and brutal repression from both sides of the Cold War. Not to mention the oppression of his own race via segregation and institutionalised racism.
During the Second World War Stalin was our ally and supported / subsidised by the West, while we needed him, in the face of a common enemy; it wasn't until "preace in our time" and he had "outlived his usefulness" against the Axis that he was retrospectively and publicly demonised by the U.S.A; how much of this was anti-Red propaganda and could there be a certain hypocrisy there? Can two wrongs (or oppressive regimes) ever make a right? Isn't it peculiar how one state's assessment of another's Politics are quite fluid and subject to substantial amendment depending on the prevailing circumstances and cultural opinions of the day?
I speculate that, like any of us, all Mr. Robeson could do, at the time, was behave and promote the factions and philosophies his conscience and existent information (no internet or Freedom of Information statutes then!) allowed him to; remember we, in our privileged 21st, century positions of enlightenment and education, have the benefit of 20/20 historical hindsight.Thank God we live in more informed times, with (relative!) freedom of speech and the ability to assess and make our own minds up.
Thank you for your thought provoking comments and contributions.
Full text of "To you, beloved Comrade" available at www.northstarcompass.org/nsc9804/robeson.htm
A giant of a man A giant of humanity ❤
nobody could do it better than paul robeson perfection
He is one of the greatest singers and personallities in the history, and my idol for many years! and this voice! I freese in my body when i listen to him!soo clean the tone!I hate the Internetworld,but thanks to TH-cam anyway.we can find so many treasures that are lost ! I did not like abba, Elvis,pop,and so on when i was young,i liked Paul Robson,yma sumac, Fjodor sjalapin, Jussi Björling, Ivan rebroff and so on.....now i am 63.