"You Are the Un-Americans, and You Ought to be Ashamed of Yourselves." (Part 2, With Poll)

^{“Born the son of a former slave, in an age of open segregation and persecution, Robeson was one of the most multi-talented and humanitarian artists of the early twentieth century. Yet, his unbounded compassion for the oppressed and his indefatigable championing of human rights also meant that he became one of the most ostracized and vilified.”}

^{Christine Kinealy, ”Paul Robeson — Singer, Actor, and Renaissance Man — Had a Love for Ireland,”Irish America, May 2020.}

What You Missed in Part I of This Diary

Paul Robeson had as much moral stature as all of the icons associated with the Civil Rights Movement.  Before he had turned forty years old, he had accomplished more than many individuals combined might achieve in several lifetimes.

Finding very limited opportunities in New York after graduating from Columbia University Law School, Robeson lived in London from 1928-1939 and where he became an international star in film and the theatrical stage.  His travels broadened his political horizons and increased his activism — notable among them the Republican cause in the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War.  Returning home, he continued to perform in musical concerts supporting the Allied effort in World War II.

The onset of the Cold War in the late 1940's made many Americans wary of the Soviet Union.  The World War II “marriage of convenience” between the two countries — lasting long enough to defeat Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany — was headed for a contentious divorce.   And Robeson, like other political activists involved in progressive and radical causes, was tarred with engaging in "Un-American activities." The years of the "Red Scare" would make his life miserable and with his U.S. passport revoked, a virtual prisoner in his own country for almost a decade.  It would cost him dearly.   

If the government wanted to silence his voice, it failed for Robeson fought back.  

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^{J. Edgar Hoover Poster Credit: Labor Arts.  “Paul Robeson and the UAW” Sketch Credit: Labor Arts.}

Paul Robeson’s remarkable life story continues below the fold…