1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson and I'm Holly Frying Back when 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: I was also on another podcast in addition to this 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: one called This Day in History Class, which is a 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: podcast that still exists, but I haven't been on it 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: in a couple of years because that was too much 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: work to do. I did an episode on The Peak 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: Skill Riots, and it has been on my list for 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: a longer episode over here since then because This Day 11 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: in History Class is like five to ten minutes long 12 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: per episode, and I thought it I wanted to have 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: a longer treatment of it. I bumped it up to 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: the top of my list when it came up in 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: our recent episode on Eugene Jacques Bullard. And so it 16 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: is today's episode of the show, and the Peak Skill 17 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: Riots surrounded a concert by singer and activist Paul Robeson, 18 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: So we're going to start with some background on him. 19 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: Paul Bustil Robeson, Sr. Was born in Princeton, New Jersey, 20 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: on April nine. He was the youngest of four children 21 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: born to William Drew Robeson and Maria Louisa Bustell. William 22 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: had been enslaved from birth and had become a minister 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: after liberating himself in eighteen sixty and Maria was a teacher. Sadly, 24 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: Maria died in a fire when Paul was only six. 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: Throughout his life, Robeson was a high achiever academically. He 26 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: earned the highest score in the state on a scholarship 27 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: exam to attend Rutgers University. Then he graduated from Rutgers 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: as valedictorian with honors that included Phi Beta Kappa and 29 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: membership in the Cap and Skull Honor Society. He played 30 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: multiple sports at the varsity level and was a two 31 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: time All American in football at Rutgers and then as 32 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: a performer. He was praised for his skills in both 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: acting and music, with a just beautiful voice that was 34 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: described in terms like magnificent and celestial. And he did 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: all this while faced with oppressive and sometimes violent racism. 36 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: He was the only black student in his class at 37 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: Rutgers when he started in nineteen fifteen, and he was 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: the university's first black student athlete. White football players physically 39 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: attacked him during tryouts, and at one point he was 40 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: pulled from a game when Washington and Lee University threatened 41 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 1: not to play if he was on the team. Robeson 42 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: stood up against this and other abuse, not only for 43 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: his own sake, but for that of others. In an 44 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: interview in nineteen forty four, he said of his time 45 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: at Rutgers quote, I wasn't just there on my own. 46 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: I was the representative of a lot of Negro boys 47 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: who wanted to play football and wanted to go to college, 48 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: and as their representative, I had to show that I 49 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: could take whatever was handed out. After graduating from Rutgers, 50 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: Robeson went on to Columbia University, where he earned a 51 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: law degree in nineteen but he found that because of 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: his race, he did not have a lot of opportunities 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: as a lawyer, so he focused on becoming an entertainer, 54 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: appearing on stage in New York and London and acting 55 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: in films. In five he also launched a career as 56 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: a singer, with a repertoire that came to focus on spirituals, 57 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: working songs and songs associated with the labor movement. His wife, 58 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: as Landa, was his manager. They had married in ninety one. 59 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: Robeson's career really flourished, both as an actor and as 60 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: a singer, and it was groundbreaking. For example, for decades, 61 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: the title role of Othello had been played by white 62 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: men in blackface, and in the US that was almost 63 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: unheard of for a black man to start in a 64 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: role opposite a white woman. But Robeson broke this color line, 65 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: appearing as Othello in London in nineteen thirty and on 66 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: Broadway in nineteen forty three. This Broadway production of Othello 67 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: ran for two d ninety six per four pans, which 68 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: set a record for Shakespeare on Broadway. By this point, 69 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: Robeson was also outspoken against both racism and fascism. Starting 70 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: in the nineteen thirties, he had become increasingly focused on 71 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: equal rights for racial and ethnic minorities and on workers 72 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: rights in economic equality. He saw both his performances and 73 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: his life as a way to support democracy and equality 74 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: and to oppose fascism, colonialism, exploitation, and war. He traveled 75 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: internationally as part of this, including making a trip to 76 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union in nineteen thirty four, and there he 77 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: found an affinity with its workers and its peasant class, 78 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: and he also said he felt like this was the 79 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: first place he had ever been where he had been 80 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: treated like a full human being, rather than targeted and 81 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: vilified because of his race. After this visit, he had 82 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: started learning Russian and adding Russian songs to his repertoire. 83 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: He frequently talked about the huge difference and how he 84 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: was treated in the USSR as compared to how he 85 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: was treated in the US. This sympathy with the Soviet 86 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: Union had a major impact on his life and career 87 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: after World War Two, with the start of the Cold War. 88 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: At that point, it would have been seen as deeply 89 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: suspicious for any American to express these kinds of views, 90 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: but it was especially suspicious coming from a black man, 91 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: particularly a black man who was also outspoken on subjects 92 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: like racial and economic equality. In April of ninety nine, 93 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: Robeson was invited to perform at the Paris Peace Congress 94 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: also called the World Congress of the Peace Partisans. This 95 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: was a peace conference that had been established by the 96 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: Soviet Union. After his musical performance at the conference, he 97 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 1: spoke extemporaneously, and according to a French transcript, he said, quote, 98 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: we in America do not forget that it is on 99 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 1: the backs of the poor whites of your up and 100 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: on the backs of millions of black people. The wealth 101 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: of America has been acquired, and we are resolved that 102 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: it shall be distributed in an equitable manner among all 103 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: of our children. And we don't want any hysterical stupidity 104 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: about our participating in a war against anybody, no matter 105 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: whom we are determined to fight for peace. We do 106 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: not wish to fight the Soviet Union. However, before he 107 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 1: even started speaking, a different quote had already been filed 108 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: with the Associated Press. The AP reported Robeson is saying, quote, 109 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: it is unthinkable that American Negroes would go to war 110 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: on behalf of those who have oppressed us for generations 111 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: against one which in one generation has lifted our people 112 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: to full human dignity. The AP right up also reported 113 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: that Robeson had called President Truman's program for colonial development 114 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: in Africa an invasion that equated to a new slavery. 115 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: The New York Times ran both this AP report and 116 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: another article on April one, ninety nine. This other article 117 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: was headlined Paris quote Peace Congress a sales, US and 118 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: Atlantic packed upholds Soviet This piece quoted Robeson as saying, quote, 119 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: we colonial people's have contributed to the building of the 120 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: United States and are determined to share in its wealth. 121 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: We denounced the policy of the United States government, which 122 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: is similar to that of Hitler and Google's. We want 123 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: peace and liberty and will combat for them, along with 124 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union, the democracies of Eastern Europe, China, and Indonesia. Immediately, 125 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: Robeson was denounced as a communist and a trader. Newspapers 126 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: sought comment from other prominent black people, expecting them to 127 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: denounce Robeson as well. The U. S. State Department demanded 128 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: a response from Roy Wilkins and Walter White of the 129 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: n double a CP, and the House un American Activities 130 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: Committee brought in Jackie Robinson to testify against Paul Robeson 131 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: in July of ninety nine. Robeson and Robinson were two 132 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: of the most famous black men in the United States 133 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: at this point, and so this was an intentional effort 134 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: to try to get an equally prominent black man to 135 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: denounce Paul Robeson. Jackie Robinson apparently reluctantly testified that Paul 136 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: Robeson did not speak for all black people and that 137 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: while he was entitled to his own views he sounded 138 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: silly expressing them in public. Jackie Robinson also said of 139 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: the ongoing civil rights struggles in the US, quote, we 140 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: can win our fight without the Communists, and we don't 141 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: want their help. All of this was happening just at 142 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: the start of the Second Red Scare. Civil rights, labor rights, 143 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: and other progressive organizations were already under a lot of scrutiny, 144 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: and some did have Communists among their members. The Communist 145 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: Party also advocated for things like labor rights and eat 146 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: well civil rights across races and sexes, so it made 147 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: it easy to brand other organizations fighting for these same 148 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: things as communist. Many civil rights organizations and their leaders 149 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: were eager to distance themselves from Communism as much as possible, 150 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: and all of this fed into why some of the 151 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: people and organizations who had previously seen robes In as 152 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: an ally suddenly shunned him and even condemned him. At first, Robeson, 153 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: who was still in Europe, had no idea what was 154 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: happening back in the United States, and when he found out, 155 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: he initially did not realize the scope of it. He 156 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: thought he could just issue a response when he got 157 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,599 Speaker 1: back home, but once it became clear. It was really devastating, 158 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: especially when it came to Jackie Robinson's comments. As a 159 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: black athlete himself, Robeson had actively supported Robinson's efforts to 160 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:58,239 Speaker 1: break the color line in Major League Baseball, and publicly, 161 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: Robeson maintained his sports saying quote, I have no quarrel 162 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: with Jackie. I have a great deal of respect for him. 163 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: He is entitled to his view. I feel that the 164 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: House Committee has insulted Jackie, It has insulted me, it 165 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: has insulted the entire Negro race. All of this happened 166 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: shortly before Robeson was supposed to perform near Peak Skill, 167 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: New York. He had performed in and around Peak Skill 168 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 1: at least three times in previous years, and while there 169 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: had been some protests, including by the American Legion when 170 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: he was at Peak Skills Stadium in nine, this time 171 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: was different. We'll talk more about that after a sponsor break. 172 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: The concert that Paul Robeson planned to perform on August 173 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: ninety nine was just outside of Peekskill, New York, at 174 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: Lakeland Acre's Picnic Ground. It was sponsored by Pete Seeger's 175 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: booking agency People's Artists, Inc. This was a fundraising event, 176 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: with proceeds going to the Harlem Chapter of the Civil 177 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: Rights Congress. This was a civil rights and legal defense 178 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 1: organization whose founder, William L. Patterson, was also a leader 179 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: in the communist part of USA. This organization was focused 180 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: on protecting the civil rights of black people and communists, 181 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: so as an organization it faced a lot of suspicion. 182 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 1: Peak Skill is in Westchester County, and this area had 183 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: previously been both agricultural and industrial, but all of that 184 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: had declined, allowing developers to buy up large tracts of 185 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: land for cheap and then build summer resorts. About eighteen 186 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: thousand people were living in Peak Skill year round, and 187 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: in the summer it was host to about thirty thousand vacationers, 188 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: most of them Jewish people from New York City. Robeson's 189 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: music was widely popular among Jewish people, which was one 190 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: of the reasons for an annual summer concert in Peak Skill. 191 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: Except for the people whose livelihoods depended on this summer crowd, 192 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: the town's year round residents generally did not like them. 193 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: Every summer, locals dealt with traffic and crowds and shortages 194 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: of just basic goods and stores, along with just suddenly 195 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: being vastly outnumbered by people they did not see as 196 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: part of their community. In some cases actively disliked because 197 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: of anti Semitism. In other cases just like I felt 198 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: like they had different cultural priorities and views. I feel 199 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: like this is the refrain of everyone who lives in 200 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: a tourism town. Yeah, peak season is always please get 201 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: these people out of here. Leading up to the concert, 202 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: the Peak Skill Evening Star published numerous articles, editorials, and 203 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: letters to the editor about it. Most of them were negative, 204 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: describing Robeson as a communist and a subversive and the 205 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 1: concert as a threat to Peak Skill. On August twenty three, 206 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: article ran under the headline Robeson concert here aid subversive unit, 207 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: and it set in part quote, every ticket purchased for 208 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: the Peak Skill Concert will drop nickels and dimes into 209 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: the basket of an Unamerican political organization. The time for 210 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: tolerant silence that signifies approval is running out. A letter 211 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: to the editor by local veteran leader Vincent J. Boyle 212 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: equated communism with polio. In other words, it was a terrifying, 213 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: contagious disease capable of silently infecting people. Public sentiment among 214 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: peak Skills year round residents was overwhelmingly against the concert. 215 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 1: Multiple organizations spoke out against it, including the j c S, 216 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: the Kawanis Club, and the Knights of Columbus, but there 217 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: were at least a few people who defended Robeson's rights. 218 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: A play one letter to the editor from August that, 219 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: in part quote, the principal danger that appears on the 220 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: horizon is that those who think of themselves as good 221 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: Americans should become anarchy and forget if they ever fully 222 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: understood and truly appreciated the great value of democratic principles, 223 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: the greatest of which is tolerance for the expression of 224 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: minority and unpopular ideas, freedom of speech, press, and orderly assembly. 225 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: Another letter made a similar argument, although both of the 226 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: people who had written these letters were very careful to 227 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: point out that they personally were not communists. Afterward, they 228 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: were both subjected to a lot of harassment and threats. 229 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: In light of all this, the concerts organizers made three 230 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: different requests for police protection. Those requests were all ignored. Meanwhile, 231 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars were 232 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: planning a protest parade. The Joint Veterans Council supported a 233 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: protest as well. In addition to the allegations that Robeson 234 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: was a Communist subversive. The picnic area where the concert 235 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: was being held was adjacent to cemeteries were veterans were buried, 236 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: which the veterans groups found deeply offensive. On August, several 237 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: people arrived at the picnic area to set up, including 238 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: putting out a thousand rented folding chairs. One was novelist 239 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: Howard Fast, who was one of the last people able 240 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: to make it into the picnic area before demonstrators from 241 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: the American Legion blocked the entrance. Although the organizations that 242 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: were planning to protest the concert stressed that their demonstrations 243 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: would be peaceful, the situation in the picnic ground quickly 244 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: became ugly and violent. Demonstrators made a bonfire from the 245 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: chairs and songbooks that were being used for the event. 246 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: Robeson was lynched in effigy, and someone burned across. People 247 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: shouted things like quote, we're Hitler's boys here to finish 248 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: the job, as well as yelling white supremacist, racist, and 249 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: anti Semitic slogans. The few people who had gotten there 250 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: early to set up wound up cornered on the stage 251 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: singing we Shall Not Be Moved, which was the only 252 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: music for the evening. Robeson had been kept out as 253 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: a venue. When it was clear that the concert wasn't happening, 254 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: some of the demonstrations, organizers started calling for people to disperse. 255 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: Police then cleared the area that some of the people 256 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: who had been protesting took their antagonism out into the community, 257 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: mostly targeting Jewish people, artists, people who lived in the 258 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: area or were there from the summer that for whatever reason, 259 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: the protesters saw as suspicious or subversive. Peak Skill American 260 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: Legion leader Milton Flint said of this quote, our objective 261 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: was to prevent the Paul Robeson concert, and I think 262 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: our objective was reached, And Robeson later said quote, they 263 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: were not merely attacking me personally. They were attacking the 264 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: Negro people, the Jewish people, and all who stand for 265 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: peace and democracy in America. Robeson and other people who 266 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: had been involved in this concert met at Harlem's Golden 267 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: Gay Ballroom shortly after all this, and they decided to 268 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: reschedule the concert for September four, which was the Sunday 269 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: of Labor Day weekend. This time the venue was in 270 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: the neighboring town of Courtland in the Hollowbrook Country Club. 271 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: Once again, locals in Peak Skill and community and city 272 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: groups planned a protest to oppose the concert. Since requests 273 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: for police protection had gone unheeded in August, concert organizers 274 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: worked with several trade unions to make a plan for 275 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: union members to defend the concert site. It's really not 276 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: clear how many people would have attended the August concert 277 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: if it had been able to go on, but the 278 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,239 Speaker 1: crowd on the afternoon of September four was huge, with 279 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: estimates ranging from fifteen thousand to twenty five thousand people. 280 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,719 Speaker 1: In addition to Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger, other performers 281 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: were added to the set, singing classical music, folk songs, 282 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: and spirituals, and giving an appeal for funds from the 283 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: Civil Rights Congress. Union members made a shoulder to shoulder 284 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: human wall all around the crowd and the stage as 285 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: a physical barrier between them and the protesters. The concert 286 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: itself went well. Pete Seeger later described feeling a sense 287 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 1: of relief and accomplishment that their plans to protect everyone 288 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: and get through the concert had worked, but then as 289 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: the crowd tried to leave, the police funneled everyone through 290 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: the same exit and down miles of the same long 291 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: winding road where people were waiting with piles of rocks 292 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: to throw at the cars and busses as they went by. 293 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 1: The rocks had been put there ahead of time to 294 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: throw at vehicles and the people in them as they left. 295 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: Paul Robeson was driven out of the area, hiding in 296 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: the floor of a van with the hope that he 297 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't be spotted. His son, Paul Robeson Jr. Was married 298 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: to a white woman, and members of the crowd threatened 299 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: to murder a different black man who was in the 300 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: car with a white woman in a case of mistaken identity. 301 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: Pete Seager was in a car with his wife and 302 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 1: two young children, along with his father in law and 303 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,439 Speaker 1: a couple of other people. Seegar described one of his 304 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: children in the floor of the car covered in shattered 305 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 1: glass as they tried to get out. When they drove 306 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: past a police officer and Seeger asked if they were 307 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: going to do something. The officer just said, quote move on. 308 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: Seeger kept the two rocks that smashed through the windows 309 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: and later used them as part of the chimney in 310 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: the home that they built. At least fifteen cars were 311 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: overturned as people tried to leave. Through all of this, 312 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: some of the bus drivers spled, leaving around a thousand 313 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: passengers stranded in this melee. Meanwhile, back at the concert site, 314 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: demonstrators attacked people who were still trying to leave. Someone 315 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: spit on Eugene Bullard, who we just had an episode about, 316 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,919 Speaker 1: and after he spit back, he was badly beaten, including 317 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: by police, And even though all this was caught on video, 318 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: no one was ever prosecuted for it. Although no one 319 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: was killed, at least one forty people were injured during 320 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: all of this, and some of them were seriously injured. 321 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: And once again, as the crowd moved away from the 322 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: scene of the concert, violence spread out into the community, 323 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: targeting black and Jewish people who were still in the 324 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: area with harassment, threats, and slurs. After all of this, 325 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: news coverage generally condemned the violence, while often subtly or 326 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: sometimes directly blaming robes In for it, framing him as 327 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: an anti American communist. The New York Times reporting set 328 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: in part quote lamenting the twisted thinking that is ruining 329 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: Paul Robeson's great career. We defend his right to carry 330 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: his art to whatever peaceably assembled groups of people he wishes. 331 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 1: That is the American way. New York Governor Thomas Dewey 332 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: ordered an investigation that was handled by District Attorney George Finelli, 333 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 1: and it absolved police of any blame, but in a 334 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: c LU investigation concluded that the West Chess police had 335 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: allowed the violence to happen. The a c l You 336 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: also noted that state troopers on hand had tried to 337 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: break up fights or protect people when they witnessed violence, 338 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: but the state troopers were far outnumbered by other officers, 339 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: making up about two hundred of the roughly nine hundred 340 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: fifty officers present. The a c l used report on 341 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 1: the violence also included this statement quote, A comprehensive and 342 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 1: patient investigation of these incidents brings to light one outstanding 343 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: fact that the rioters believed they were carrying out a 344 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: patriotic duty in what they did. They believed that the 345 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: nation would applaud them and the national press would lend 346 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: them support. They believed that in denying freedom of speech 347 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,959 Speaker 1: to a political minority, they were following the lead of 348 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: the federal authorities. We're going to talk more about the 349 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: aftermath of all of this after we first pause for 350 00:21:54,440 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 1: a little sponsor break. After the violence of September four, 351 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 1: a lot of people in and around Peak Skill maintained 352 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: that communists had provoked the violence, but the only provocation 353 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: they were referencing was Paul Robeson having played a concert. 354 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: There was no evidence that communists had called for or 355 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: instigated any violence, although there was ongoing Ku Klux Klan 356 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: activity in the area. The a c LU report concluded 357 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: that the clan was not responsible for the rioting. There 358 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 1: had even been a protest sign in the August seven 359 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: parades that had read, quote, twenty years ago, we cleaned 360 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: out the clan, now we'll clean out the commies that said. 361 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: Cross burning is heavily associated with the clan, and crosses 362 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: were burning during the riots, and the violence does seem 363 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: to have inspired later clan activity, with clan members burning 364 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: crosses that bore the label quote we protest Paul Robeson 365 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: and communism. The riots also inflamed racism and anti semitism 366 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: more generally. In late August and early September of nineteen 367 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: forty nine, people in and around Peak Skills started displaying 368 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: signs in their windows that read wake Up America. Peak 369 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: Skill did. This also appeared on protesters signs, and it 370 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,400 Speaker 1: became a bumper sticker. In response to this and other incidents, 371 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: including a controversy at Sarah Lawrence College, which is also 372 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: in Westchester County, the American Legion in Westchester County established 373 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: its own Unamerican Activities Committee in nineteen fifty two. Simultaneously, 374 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: the riots inspired the civil rights and labor rights movements, 375 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: including a new wave of protest songs. An album called 376 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: The Peak Skill Story, including both music and spoken word, 377 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: by Paul Robeson, Howard Fast, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, 378 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: was released just days after the riots. Seeger song Hold 379 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 1: the Line was part of this album and begins let 380 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: me tell you the story of a line that was 381 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: held and many brave men and women whose courage we 382 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: know well. How we held the line at Peak Skill 383 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 1: on that long September day. We will hold the line forever, 384 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: till the people have their way. Nobody was ever prosecuted 385 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: for the violence or destruction of these two events. Paul 386 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: Robeson and twenty six others did file a two million 387 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: dollar civil suit against Westchester County and two of the 388 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: veterans groups involved, but that was eventually dismissed, and all 389 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: the musicians associated with the concert had their careers disrupted. Performers, 390 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: including Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie, who had 391 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: been at the concert but had not performed, were turned 392 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: away by venues, had bookings canceled, and were otherwise closed 393 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: out of the industry. Prominent politicians and people in other 394 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: industries cut ties with them, sometimes publicly, but this was 395 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: by far the worst for Paul Robeson. He did not 396 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: backed down on any of his statements about US foreign 397 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 1: policy or colonialism, or racism, or his experiences as a 398 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 1: black man in the United States versus in the Soviet Union. 399 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: The FBI investigated him for years. The Paul robes And 400 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: file on the FBI website, where it keeps its vaults 401 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: of stuff from Foyer requests, includes thirty one parts, and 402 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: some of them are hundreds of pages long. None of 403 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: this stopped his activism, though, and he did not back 404 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: away from his support of communism or the Soviet Union. 405 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty, he published a pamphlet called The Negro 406 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: people in the Soviet Union, in which he described the 407 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: Soviet Union as inspiring the independence movements in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, 408 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: and India. He also talked about Europe's colonization of Africa, 409 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 1: saying quote, the Soviet Union is the friend of the 410 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 1: African and West Indian peoples, and no imperialist wolf described 411 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: is a benevolent watchdog, and no Tito disguised as a 412 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: revolutionary can convince them that Moscow oppresses the small nations. 413 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: Later on in the pamphlet, he wrote, quote, the Soviet 414 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: socialist program of ethnic and national democracy is precisely the 415 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 1: opposite of the Nazi, fascist, South African and Dixiecrat programs 416 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: of racial superiority. That same year, the US became involved 417 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: in the Korean War, which Robeson also spoke out against. 418 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 1: As he was preparing for an international tour of concerts 419 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: and peace rallies, the State Department canceled his passport. Immigration 420 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: officials were also instructed to keep him from traveling to 421 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: Canada or Mexico, where passports were not required. Although he 422 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: was still in demand as a performer outside the United States, 423 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,439 Speaker 1: he wasn't allowed to travel to work, and he was 424 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: also banned from most domestic venues, so for the most 425 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: part he couldn't work in the US either. His remaining 426 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: performances had to work around this. At one point in 427 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty two, he did an outdoor concert in Washington, 428 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: where part of the crowd of twenty five thousand people 429 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: was across the border in Canada. Robeson later said his 430 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: annual income dropped from one hundred thousand dollars to two 431 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: thousand dollars After the peak skill riots, He and his wife, 432 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: is Landa lost their home in Connecticut and moved to Harlem, 433 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: New York as a note. They were married until her 434 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: death in nineteen sixty five, but their relationship was sometimes strained. 435 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: They had remained married in spite of a pattern of 436 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: extramarital affairs on Paul's part. As Robeson tried to find 437 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: other ways to make ends meet, he started a newspaper 438 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: called Freedom, which was one of the few publications in 439 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: the US to extensively report on apartheid in South Africa 440 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,119 Speaker 1: during this period. A paper ran until nineteen fifty five. 441 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty six, Robeson tried to get his passport 442 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: restored and During that process, he refused to sign an 443 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 1: affidavit stating that he was not a communist. Afterward, he 444 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: was called before the House Un American Activities Committee, where 445 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: his testimony was truly defiant. He was just not going 446 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: to cooperate with what he saw as a total sham 447 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: of a proceeding. He repeatedly refused to say whether he 448 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: was a communist. He invoked the Fifth Amendment over and over, 449 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: and he called the proceedings ridiculous. He said at one point, quote, 450 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: I am not being tried for whether I am a communist. 451 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: I am being tried for fighting for the rights of 452 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: my people. I stand here struggling for the rights of 453 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 1: my people to be full citizens in this country. And 454 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: they are not. They are not in Mississippi, and they 455 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: are not in Montgomery, Alabama, and they are not in Washington. 456 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: They are nowhere. And that is why I'm here today. 457 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: You want to shut up every Negro who has the 458 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: courage to stand up and fight for the rights of 459 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 1: his people, for the rights of workers. And I have 460 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: been on many a picket line for the steel workers too, 461 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 1: and that is why I am here today. He also 462 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: elaborated on that quote that had been misreported and had 463 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: fed into the Peak Skill riots. Quote. No part of 464 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: my speech made in Paris says fifteen million American Negroes 465 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: would do anything. I said, it was my feeling that 466 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: the American people would struggle for peace, and that has 467 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: since been underscored by the President of the United States. 468 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: Now in passing, I said, it was unthinkable to me 469 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: that any people would take up arms in the name 470 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: of an Eastland to go against anybody. Gentlemen, I still 471 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: say that this United States government should go down to 472 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: Mississippi and protect my people. That is what should happen. 473 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: And when asked repeatedly whether he had praised Joseph Stalin, 474 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: he finally answered, quote, whatever has happened to Stalin, gentleman, 475 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: is a question for the Soviet Union. And I would 476 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 1: not argue with the representative of the people who, in 477 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: building America wasted sixty two a hundred million lives of 478 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: my people, black people drawn from Africa on the plantations. 479 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: You are responsible and your forebears for sixty million to 480 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: one hundred million black people dying in the slave ships 481 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: and on the plantations. And don't ask me about anybody. Please. 482 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: When the meeting was finally announced as adjourn, Robeson said quote, 483 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: I think it should be and you should adjourn this forever. 484 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: In addition to having been essentially blocked from his career 485 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: as a performer after this, Robeson's name was removed from 486 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: the College Football All American roster. So one thing that 487 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: we do need to note here is that Robeson's praise 488 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: for the Soviet Union went way beyond his own experience 489 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: of racial oppression as a black man. So many of 490 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: the quotes we have read from him, he had a point. 491 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: He was correct in his notation that the United States 492 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,719 Speaker 1: was expecting young men, especially young black men, to go 493 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: to war while not protect the black men at home. 494 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: Like a lot of what he was saying was absolutely valid. 495 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: But what we're talking about, as far as his opinions 496 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: went beyond that. It's likely that when he visited the 497 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: Soviet Union in nineteen thirty four, he did not know, 498 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: for example, about the holadamor Soviet authorities took steps to 499 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,239 Speaker 1: hide that from prominent visitors, and a lot of the 500 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: other most notorious actions on the part of the Soviet 501 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: Union had not happened yet when he was there in 502 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty four. But by the time Robeson appeared before 503 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: the House an American Activities Committee, it was clear that 504 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 1: Stalin's control of the Soviet Union had been ruthlessly authoritarian 505 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: and dictatorial, and that he and his administration had carried 506 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: out purges and mass deportations and executions, unjust imprisonments, and 507 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: industrialization and collectivization efforts that had led to widespread famine 508 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: and death. But Robeson never publicly reconsidered his early support 509 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: of the Soviet Union or its leaders, including Joseph Stalin, 510 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: and he also praised other Communist dictators, including Mao Zedong. 511 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: For example, after Stalin's death in nineteen fifty three, ropes 512 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: And published a eulogy that was full of effusive praise, saying, 513 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: in part quote, yes, through his deep humanity, by his 514 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: wise understanding, he leaves us a rich and monumental heritage. 515 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 1: Most importantly, he has charted the direction of our present 516 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,440 Speaker 1: and future struggles. He has pointed the way to peace, 517 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:33,719 Speaker 1: to friendly coexistence, to the exchange of mutual scientific and 518 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: cultural contributions, to the end of war and destruction. How consistently, 519 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: how patiently he labored for peace and ever increasing abundance 520 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: with what deep kindliness and wisdom, he leaves tens of 521 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 1: millions all over the earth bowed in heart aching grief. 522 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: At least in earlier years like the nineteen thirties and forties, 523 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: robes And seems to have been concerned that if he 524 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: denounced anything the Soviet Union was doing, it would feed 525 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: into anti Soviet and anti Communist fervor, which he thought 526 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: would do more harm than good. And he repeatedly made 527 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: the point that the United States had this long history 528 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: of slavery and genocide that really wasn't acknowledged when the 529 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: US was condemning atrocities that were carried out by other nations. 530 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: But we really do not know his thoughts on why 531 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: he continued to so vocally support and praise Stalin and 532 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: other Soviet leaders as well as other dictators when all 533 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: of this became more known, or why he pointedly criticized 534 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 1: the imperialism of Western nations while seemingly ignoring Russian imperialism 535 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: in Eastern Europe. In ninety eight, the U. S. Supreme 536 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: Court issued a ruling in Kent versus Dulls, finding that 537 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: it was unconstitutional to deny someone a passport because they 538 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: were a communist or refused to sign an affidavit regarding 539 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: whether they were a communist. Afterward, robes and passport was 540 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: finally restored and he left the country. But all this 541 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 1: had been emotionally and financially devastating. He experienced periods of 542 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: profound depression and other mental illness, and at various points 543 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: was hospitalized for treatment in Moscow. In nineteen sixty one, 544 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: he tried to take his own life. He returned to 545 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: the US in nineteen sixty three, where his life was 546 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: increasingly secluded and reclusive. In nineteen seventy two, Jackie Robinson 547 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: published an autobiography titled I Never Had It Made, in 548 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 1: which he suggested that if he had to do it 549 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:36,840 Speaker 1: all over again, he would not have spoken out against 550 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: Paul Robeson. He also said that his respect for Robeson 551 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: had increased over the years because he had sacrificed everything 552 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: he had, including his wealth and career, to try to 553 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:52,399 Speaker 1: help people. Paul Robeson died in Philadelphia on January twenty three, 554 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six, at the age of seventy seven. There 555 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,760 Speaker 1: are a number of books and films about Paul Robeson's life. 556 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 1: Then it was announced that director Steve McQueen was working 557 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,839 Speaker 1: on a biopic. I have not been able to find 558 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: anything more recent than that since like or so, so 559 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,320 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what the status of that is. Sometimes 560 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: those projects move very slowly. Yeah, sometimes they move very slowly, 561 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 1: and sometimes they just kind of sputter out evaporate. So 562 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: who knows. Do you have listener mail for us? I do. 563 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: I have a couple of different quick pieces of listener mail. Um. 564 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: In our behind the Scenes episode on the Lowry War, 565 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,320 Speaker 1: we talked about me going down a rabbit hole of 566 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,840 Speaker 1: outdoor drama, and so we have gone. We've gotten a 567 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: lot of great email about the outdoor drama dramas that 568 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: are located near where people live or that they know about. 569 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: So this first email is from Tyler, and Tyler says, Hi, 570 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy from the latest Behind the Scenes Lowry 571 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: and Midgley. You were speaking about historical drama performances. There's 572 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:57,959 Speaker 1: one here in the Texas Panhandle that runs nightly during 573 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: the summer months now and it's been fifty sixth season. 574 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: It is outside Amarillo, in an amphitheater in the Palodarro Canyon, 575 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 1: America's second largest canyon. It's loosely based on Colonel Charles 576 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: Goodnight and the early settlers of the region, but with 577 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 1: singing and dancing. Worth a look if you're ever in 578 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: the area. People driving by tend to think of this 579 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: country as endless, flat nothing, but if they get off 580 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: the interstate and see the canyon, find it amazingly beautiful. 581 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 1: Keep up the good work on a regular listener to 582 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: every episode for the last several years. So the name 583 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: of that show is apparently just Texas Outdoor Musical. There's 584 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: more about it at Texas dash show dot com. We 585 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 1: have also gotten lots of emails and tweets and other 586 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 1: such things telling us about this next one. So this 587 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: is from Gloria and Gloria wrote Holly and Tracy. I 588 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 1: just finished listening to the behind the scenes for the 589 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: Lowry War and you're wondering about outdoor theater productions. We 590 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: had two here in Ohio for many ers. The original 591 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 1: was two COMPSA and his run for over fifty years. Unfortunately, 592 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: the other, Blue Jacket, is no longer in production. I've 593 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 1: put the info I found on both in this email. 594 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 1: A lot to read, but I wanted to give you 595 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 1: the history on them, and I'll also, uh Gloria sent 596 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: some dog pictures were very cute. Uh So the information 597 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: about the two compsa outdoor drama is at two Comes 598 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: the Drama dot com. These are not that you only 599 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,319 Speaker 1: emails we've gotten about outdoor dramas, so this may come 600 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: up again in some future listener mail we will see. 601 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 1: Thank you so much to everybody who has told us 602 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 1: about the outdoor dramas of their local area. If you 603 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,919 Speaker 1: would like to write to us or at history Podcasts 604 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 1: at I heart radio dot com and we're all over 605 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 1: social media and missed in History that still find our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 606 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 1: and Instagram, and you can subscribe to our show on 607 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 1: the I heart Radio app or wherever you like to 608 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Stuff you Missed in History Class is 609 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 610 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 611 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H