BEST Black radical socialist speech ever! - Paul Robeson
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.พ. 2016
- Testimony of Paul Robeson before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, June 12, 1956
...
Mr. ROBESON: Two thousand students from various parts of the colonial world, students who since then have become very important in their governments, in places like Indonesia and India, and in many parts of Africa, two thousand students asked me and Mr. [Dr. Y. M.] Dadoo, a leader of the Indian people in South Africa, when we addressed this conference, and remember I was speaking to a peace conference, they asked me and Mr. Dadoo to say there that they were struggling for peace, that they did not want war against anybody. Two thousand students who came from populations that would range to six or seven hundred million people.
...
Mr. ROBESON: I do not remember that. But what is perfectly clear today is that nine hundred million other colored people have told you that they will not. Four hundred million in India, and millions everywhere, have told you, precisely, that the colored people are not going to die for anybody: they are going to die for their independence. We are dealing not with fifteen million colored people, we are dealing with hundreds of millions.
Mr. KEARNEY: The witness has answered the question and he does not have to make a speech. . . .
Mr. ROBESON: In Russia I felt for the first time like a full human being. No color prejudice like in Mississippi, no color prejudice like in Washington. It was the first time I felt like a human being. Where I did not feel the pressure of color as I feel [it] in this Committee today.
Mr. SCHERER: Why do you not stay in Russia?
Mr. ROBESON: Because my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you. And no Fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear? I am for peace with the Soviet Union, and I am for peace with China, and I am not for peace or friendship with the Fascist Franco, and I am not for peace with Fascist Nazi Germans. I am for peace with decent people.
Mr. SCHERER: You are here because you are promoting the Communist cause.
Mr. ROBESON: I am here because I am opposing the neo-Fascist cause which I see arising in these committees. You are like the Alien [and] Sedition Act, and Jefferson could be sitting here, and Frederick Douglass could be sitting here, and Eugene Debs could be here.
. . . .
THE CHAIRMAN: There was no prejudice against you. Why did you not send your son to Rutgers?
Mr. ROBESON: Just a moment. This is something that I challenge very deeply, and very sincerely: that the success of a few Negroes, including myself or Jackie Robinson can make up-and here is a study from Columbia University-for seven hundred dollars a year for thousands of Negro families in the South. My father was a slave, and I have cousins who are sharecroppers, and I do not see my success in terms of myself. That is the reason my own success has not meant what it should mean: I have sacrificed literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars for what I believe in.
Mr. ARENS: While you were in Moscow, did you make a speech lauding Stalin?
Mr. ROBESON: I do not know.
...
Mr. ARENS: Have you recently changed your mind about Stalin?
Mr. ROBESON: Whatever has happened to Stalin, gentlemen, is a question for the Soviet Union, and I would not argue with a representative of the people who, in building America, wasted sixty to a hundred million lives of my people, black people drawn from Africa on the plantations. You are responsible, and your forebears, for sixty million to one hundred million black people dying in the slave ships and on the plantations, and don’t ask me about anybody, please.
...
Mr. ROBESON: I have told you, mister, that I would not discuss anything with the people who have murdered sixty million of my people, and I will not discuss Stalin with you.
Mr. ARENS: You would not, of course, discuss with us the slave labor camps in Soviet Russia.
Mr. ROBESON: I will discuss Stalin when I may be among the Russian people some day, singing for them, I will discuss it there. It is their problem.
. . . .
Mr. ROBESON: I say that he is as patriotic an American as there can be, and you gentlemen belong with the Alien and Sedition Acts, and you are the nonpatriots, and you are the un-Americans, and you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
THE CHAIRMAN: Just a minute, the hearing is now adjourned.
Mr. ROBESON: I should think it would be.
THE CHAIRMAN: I have endured all of this that I can.
Mr. ROBESON: Can I read my statement?
THE CHAIRMAN: No, you cannot read it. The meeting is adjourned.
Mr. ROBESON: I think it should be, and you should adjourn this forever, that is what I would say. . . .
I wish I was taught about this man at school
Well, now you can teach those around you about him.
It is President's Day and I am building a lesson around him that my students will use this week. 147 young minds will know Paul Robeson by Friday.
I am in the UK and I too wish i had learned more of Paul Robeson. But now i aim rectify that situation. I was brought here by The Dubliners song Joe Hill.
@@jennyGPB hey, would it be possible to view this lesson? thank you!
I’m a teacher in the UK. He’s not on the curriculum but my God do my kids know about him!
Thank God Paul Robeson was a strong man.
You are sick with racist hatred and ignorance - you need to examine your bigotry. It will not be tolerated by the world today. It will only bring you misery and grief.
You're a coward.
Cowardly troll.
alajsj T You make me embarrassed to be white.
alajsj T
Im white, and im actually from Russia, and you calling this guy a bad man means nothing, Robenson I think was actually defending the Soviets point of view. But you see nothing because your a facist, Reason he supported communism is because Communism makes everyone equal, clearly your a capitalist nazi
What a stunning beautiful voice. And what a great man how he doesnt let these fascist assholes get to him.
but at the end they destroyed him - his end was horrible
I'm sure theirs was horrible as well if not worst
it's the voice of
James Earl Jones
yes, and Paul was a bad mofo in his speech, they destroyed him yes, but they got theirs in the end of things ans Paul is still being talked about, not those that questioned him
I have an unlimited amount of respect and admiration for this great man.
The world needs to know more about this gifted, brilliant man. Never in history has there been such a multi-talented man.
2:18 His response "I have medals for diction" KILLED ME. LOL! What a comeback!
I grew up listening to his voice and his voice has been with me throughout my life. A giant of a man, a giant of his time and beyond. Carve his name with pride.
Paul Robeson - a giant of a man who took a stand. Will never be forgotten.
I had the honor of portraying him in the one man theatrical production entitled Paul Robeson by the late Phillip Hayes Dean.
This particular exchange was included in the play.
Robeson was a total inspiration to all with tremendous courage. The sacrifices he made throughout his life moved an entire race forward.
Playing him changed my life.
What is so unfortunate, is that many have never heard of him. And those who have, only remember him as a communist sympathizer when he simply claimed that Russia, though a Communist nation, treated Blacks better than America.
This clip highlights when
Robeson had to go before the House UnAmerican Ethics Committee as a consequence for speaking out against America at the Paris Peace Conference in 1949. And he paid dearly for it.
Paul Robeson achieved distinction during the Jim Crow era which was unheard of for any non White.
Robeson should be in every history book for all to learn of his extraordinary life.
He died in 1976 but his legacy marches on.
I was lucky to have had the honor and opportunity to portray him
B1 brother Paul Robeson we are still fighting in 2023 and beyond👍🏿✊🏿✊🏿
What a man and his country destroyed Him - what a sad story !!!!!!
BRAVO well said.
Elena Mraz
I agree with paul robeson.
alajsj T
Workers of the World, unite!
Daniel Gyllenbreider No Rice, No Life!...
An inspiration in more ways than can be counted.
A man of immense integrity and courage, as well as a sublime voice.
Yes, Robeson was a man of genius, spoke many languages fluently, a magnificent actor, singer, athlete and scholar as well as a lawyer.
Back in the day he was very popular in UK, my mother was an avid fan.
I wish we had Paul Robeson present today. And for those interested: Listen to him singing.
Great! Paul is one of my heroes. What a principled man!
😊
What a legend this man is, the courage and conviction he has in standing up to white Settler Colonialism and the terrible crimes they have committed against black and indigenous people ❤❤.
There was no more accomplished and noble American in the 20th century. Every American should know of him.
I only know of him because of a commie college FM radio station back in the early 80s. I can't believe how much real history is suppressed in USA_Co_Inc.
Brilliant! My father was a great admirer of Mr. Robeson, and I too, have been an admirer of him for all of my life, both his music and his politics... Wonderful man.
No one taught me about this true American. I truly wish I could have seen this in person and spoken to Mr. Paul Robeson. I wished I learned about him in school.
There’s a reason we don’t know about this man
The most honorable of men.
Very good performance by James Earl Jones.
I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope and courage in the face of fear. My weapons are peaceful, for it is only by peace that peace can be attained. The song of freedom must prevail.
Paul Robeson is one of my FAVORITE singers and was such an AMAZING man. Very unafraid and I look up to him ten fold.
I invoke the fifth amendment. Loudly.
What a great Man was Paul Robeson,facing all those rabid attacks with such courage wisdom and poise. There was not one uprighteous man among the questioners.
I am so sorry that America does not have his voice today. By posting this, you allow people to hear that voice again, in the face of something far worse than the HUAC. Thank you SO MUCH for allowing America to hear again what freedom ought to sound like.
Except, it's not his voice, but that of James Earl Jones.
Fearless!!!
I wish....I could meet this GREAT MAN. He is safe in heaven now....he is a holy angel...GOD BLESS HIS SOUL🙏🏿🙏🙏🏻🎈👏🏿👏🏼
There will NEVER be another James Earl Jones and he evokes eerily the spirit, bearing and magnificent voice of Paul Robeson. There will NEVER be another Paul Robeson. Human Beings are not fungible, replaceable parts of a machine but irreducibly valuable in their complexity and dignity.
Paul Robson. A true IGBO descendant. Resilience, fearless, leadership by example and extreme intelligence. That's the essence of being a bloodline descendant of the IGBO. These are our traits and every truthful African/black knows this. GOD BLESS HIS SOUL. RIP with the LORD Our Son. Wishing all the IGBO DESCENDANTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD ALL THE BEST. we'll be coming for Ya'll soon.
Robeson was a hero
What a remarkable historical record. Thank you so much for posting it. I saw Paul Robeson appear on Sunday Night at the London Palladium in the Summer of 1958. It was a surprise appearance shortly after he had been allowed to leave the United States. I was sitting on my dad's lap watching the TV and he told me what a wonderful man Paul Robeson was.
Davidb
,3 Clifford
Breathtaking! With beauty and clarity, a great voice of peace, justice and humanity condemns the snidely, cruel voices of evil.
you gotta love comrade Paul Robeson he is a great man who's ideal will live through the ages
This is James Earl Jones reading as Paul Robeson.
Wendel Stephens I thought so. Robeson sings low, but his speaking voice ends his voice higher. Jones played Robeson.
I never met anyone more impressed by Mr. Robeson than my deceased husband, John Watson. He was the kind of American we need today to put up in the current un-elected Presidents face.
Thank God for men of dignity such as Paul Robeson
Beautiful
He was my family's hero and will always be mine too. One of the bravest men of his time .
06:21 The tone of a man who knows his words have power and will absolutely wield that power to remove fascists from this world.
What a man! When do they make a biopic about him?
A program devoted to Robeson on a New York City TV show hosted by Gil Noble was called "The Tallest Tree in Our Forest." Hard to think of anyone taller. Certainly not in my lifetime.
Is this from a movie?? This dialogue is so intentional and refined. Jeeze every word is deliberate and heavy on both sides.
This is actually James Earl Jones acting Robeson. Great content tho.
?? Is it a re-enactment? Do you know where that version can be sourced? @Malcolm X Movement??
I am not sure.
this is from artists in citizen which was a play about Paul Robson. Or was called the power of His Story or something but it was James Earl Jones to start in it. It's an amazing reenactment but this is not the actual HUAC tapes none exist of his actual testing what you can get the transcripts then they're pretty f****** awesome. you can hear James Earl Jones's Caribbean accent here.
I would presume that if there is a re-enactment, it is because no original recording exists.
It sure sounds like James Earl Jones.
thank you so much for uploading.
I was taught about him because they had a museum of sorts in Compton CA but that speech was awesome and perfect for that time
Paul Robeson not only had a magnificent singing voice but also a very rich speaking voice
WOW! This is fantastic! Thanks for posting.
My hero always in awe of him; so beautiful and strong in the middle of such ugly times
how does this only have 100 views? absolutely amazing
+Yari O Unfortunately the school system in the U.S. does not teach about Paul Robeson there are many black young people who don't know anything about Paul Robeson.
And they're really scared to teach about the Communists of America movement and the like. The only thing they taught us about Communism in highschool was which countries were and are Communist and that was Freshman year.
people do not know about him - I learned about him in Europe - never heard about him here till now on the internet
am sure they it was just propaganda, what you learned..
This site has 1,000 views. But even this number seems small, especially when the message is so powerful.
courage! clarity of mind under that onslaught! focus! what a guy!
Superb singer, superb honourable man.
Brilliant
Just immense beyond words. Let Robeson Sing
A tremendous comrade. About as brave and gallant as a human being can possibly be. Red salute and rest well brother.
inspired!
By listening to this great man,nay, this great comrade whilst being persecuted in the reactionary courts of America, I can only feel a sense of pride for calling myself a 21st century Marxist. Today we face the same persecution as this man did in the mid 20th century, but we must never relent, we must never cowar, and we must never give in. Our greatest strength and their greatest weakness is intelligence. With superior intelligence and fortitude, we can never be beaten no matter the odds, no matter how few of us there are in this globalized world. All men, all women, every race is equal. Worker's of all lands unite!!
He was a boss. Those fascists questioning him are moral cowards.
What a booming voice he had, with morality at its center.
WOW!!!
Inspiring! Wonderful!
I heard of him bit this is the first i ever heard one of his speaches this brother know how to talk to these devils
amazing....absolutely amazing.
Wow.. I had no idea he went through so much.
I dreamed I saw Paul Robeson. BRILLIANT!
Im so lucky ive found him.
THAT WAS INCREDIBLY EMPOWERING.
This sounds like James Earl Jones doing a remakes of the hearing,
I can just remember, as a little kid, my parents arguing with my grandmother about McCarthy.
Inspiration for the oncoming
What a man, so brave to take on the establishment, one of the great,great Americans
I love this whole thing, but especially the ending. Chairman: "This meeting is adjourned!" ...
Mr. Robeson: "Yes, I think it should be" Such poise, such command. What an American hero. With all his faults, I consider him one of our greatest, more than just a Renaissance man, but a genius who used his mind to fight injustice wherever he saw it, even to his own detriment.
I'd like to hear his statement...
He sounds like James Earl Jones
This man is a hero.
as re-enacted by
James Earl Jones
This is mad funny. RIP Mr. Robeson
One of the great American orations on the same level of importance of the Gettysburg Address except for the fact that Lincoln didn't have to deal with a simultaneous cross-examination while he was giving his (written) speech. Every word from Robeson is precious and must be understood. That is why I would like some help with a passage. At 9:55, he says " 'Jennison' (?) could be sitting here and Frederick Douglass could be sitting here Eugene Debs could be sitting here… " please could someone tell me who is "Jennison"?
Good man.
A great Paul Robson in a Fascist leon's den !
Go on Paul!!!
this is from a play about Paul Robeson. the actor is James Earl Jones.
My Hero 🙌🏿
What a great man.bless him.
God has taken Paul but his heart and soul remains with anyone of good intention
I can't believe this happen to this man but Smart❤ i am listening 🤬 anger people asking questions
What a wonderful man.
Thanks for publishing this. I have given several talks about him in Hounslow, where we have a "Paul Robeson Theatre." You've heard Paul Robeson singing hereand singing freedom songs."I cannot cease to sing," said he, "while poor folk suffer wrong,""McCarthy stopped your mighty voice,he silenced you," said I."My freedom songs live on," said he,"our hopes & dreams don't die."Now - will you stand where Robeson stood,and sing his freedom songs?Will entertainment silence you,till hopes and dreams are gone?My update on Joe Hill.
that guy had BALLS
a proud man if one have ever lived
What strong lone voice surrounded by barking dogs. What would happened if he has 10000 more of him in America and worldwide. His like are badly needed to address the devil burden today. Sucks! No his incarnation.
workers in the world, unite
History repeats itself. (2016)
this is funny, this meeting is over, IT SHOULD BE!
In the beginning i heard the whiteman say" make him speak so we can us it to prosecute him?
Hell someone needs to translate this in Russian, the tone of the conversation I realized that he answered adequately
He spoke Russian
Robison was a great man