Murphy Signs Bill Creating Paul Robeson Day Each April 9
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
The January 26, 1976 Targum reported that Paul Robeson, born on April 9, 1898 had died on January 23, 1976. He had won a four year scholarship to Rutgers and was the third black student the school ever had. “At one point, he was earning over $200,000 a year as an actor and concert singer and rivaled FDR as the American most respected by people overseas. He could speak 25 languages. A mountain in Russia (today’s Kazakstan) was named after him. Amazingly, many Americans in the late 1960s and early 1970s never heard of him… While Robeson was singing in Peekskill, NY in 1949, thousands of whites, spurred on by the local American Legion and newspaper, stoned the 25,000 people attending the concert as policemen idly watched. It was a disgusting display of America at its worst.” At that concert, snipers were seen on the hills surrounding the venue.
If he had been born 50 years later, I imagine he would've eventually become a senator or maybe even President. A towering figure and RU's most lauded graduate ever. Still think it should be Paul Robeson Field at Rutgers (SHI, I guess) Stadium.
Wish his birthday or passing was during the Fall so we could make a weekend or a bigger deal out of it during the Football season.
Keep up the good work since preserving and celebrating our history is important.
Thank you.... appreciate that.
And also:
According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, on April 9, 1978, Paul Robeson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located on the south side of the 6600 block of Hollywood Boulevard between the stars of Eartha Kitt and Marsha Hunt.
I'll second "Keep up the good work since preserving and celebrating our history is important."
I really appreciate along with enjoy your history lessons 👍
Its always left out that the riot wasn't in Peekskill but Cortlandt Manor outside town. Things originally got tense because the concert/rally was a communist organized event and the WWII vets got pissed-off (media hyped anti-American event in a heavy veteran area)). Robeson had actually performed in Peekskill before with no problems.
The area of the riot (and Robeson had 2500 guarding him) was a summer vacation area for Jewish people (some say 50K) from NYC. Peekskill itself was always a very Jewish village with most shops run by Jewish retailers. A Cortlandt village outside Peekskill was famous for being a communist/socialist enclave ("Ten Days That Shook the World" author John Reed lived there - he's buried in the Kremlin. The "red diaper" people from the area love the Robeson riots to this day. They consider it their glory days.
Another area very Irish/Italian was hostile to all outsiders - especially Black people but also Jews. Alas they also beat-up the KKK trying to rally in area. That's where most of the troublemakers came from.
This (Jewish publication) is a better account than what gets printed in modern era that sanitizes communist/veteran aspect. https://www.commentary.org/articles...-of-the-peekskill-riotswhat-happened-and-why/
I like Robeson and don't care he was a communist in that era. But another guy from Peekskill also sang "Ole Man River" in a movie and I liked his version better. Peekskill students chipped in to send him to Hollywood.
That may be the last Marsha Hunt mention on these pages.She made it to 104.
Most everyone who is familar with the sound of Robeson is by his singing. But this is what he sounded like in casual conversation talking about racial relations:
Paul Robeson being interviewed on Australian TV in 1960.
Paul Robeson being interviewed on Australian TV in 1960.
Paul Robeson is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. His tombstone reads: “The artist must elect to fight for Freedom or for Slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative
Here I Stand By Paul Robeson
Here I Stand (book) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Giant of a man in so many ways. Listen to him sing "Old Man River".
