Paul Robeson 1898–1976

We were blessed to close out Black History Month by attending a theater performance called “Paul Robeson in Concert.” Paul Robeson was one of the great men of the 20th century who was blacklisted from history due to his race and his convictions. He was was an “American actor of film and stage, All-American and professional athlete, writer, multi-lingual orator, lawyer, and basso profondo concert singer who was also noted for his wide-ranging social justice activism.” He has been forgotten in our history books since he was a man of principals and convictions who said what he believed and practiced what he said. These are still the qualities of someone we would marginalize in this day and age.

The actor, tonight, had a beautiful deep baritone voice. Most of the songs he sang were spirituals, songs that have a natural appeal worldwide. Robeson was a worldwide figure who, like many African-Americans of his day, found more acceptance of who he was and his music outside of the USA. So to keep him away from the rest of the world, while he was blacklisted, the USA government took away his passport. His honesty was a “threat” to the USA government just like, in a very small way, our silent prayer vigil for an hour on Wednesday was considered a threat to Marquette University, a Catholic University.

Paul Robeson was not afraid to say things about race and social justice most Americans in his day just “did not want to hear.” The music in the concert was relaxing, but also gave me courage to consider publishing my top ten list of “Things We Do Not Want To Hear.”

I do not have any great talent like Mr. Robeson and am just an ordinary person. However, I feel a kinship with him, via his life story and his music, especially the spirituals. He was truly An American.

Comments

(:commentboxchrono:)