You and Baby Huey the Fake Black Guy Now Ignored are the only ones making this about race. I personally have zero f*cks. My issue is precisely as stated - Robeson evangelized a brutal dictator responsible for the deaths of millions of people - not too few of them Jews. Robeson was, wittingly or unwittingly, partially to blame for some of those deaths, as his glowing portrayal of Josef Stalin helped to disguise true evil from the world.
Robeson gets no slack from me. He knew what he was doing. He was complicit.
Stop!~ Take a breath.
Personal assumptions / facts:
1. I'm Jewish
2. My father was born in Poland (1905) / he was Jewish
3. In the late 20's / during the depression (especially 1933-1939), my father was the "president of a Brooklyn Book Club" (read Socialist / Communist Organizer. Many famous people rolled into that organization (though I expect all are dead now). E.g. Thurgood Marshall was introduced to NY by my father (not saying Marshall was Communist, but my father was). Langston Hughes stayed at my parents apartment in Brooklyn on several occasions. Also crossed paths with Jules Dassin (directed "Never on Sunday") and I'm sure many of the intellectuals of the day.
4. In 1939 my father renounced the Communists when Stalin / Hitler signed the non aggression pact. From that moment on he / my mother were staunch Democrats. Fast forward to 1954: I was about 7. I found a red pin with letters something like IBUW (International Brotherhood of United Workers....I'm not positive). Both my parents told me to NEVER touch that pin again or talk about it.
5. Fast forward: 1968. I graduated from Rutgers / accepted a GA position in the Psychology Department of Long Beach State. After several years of living in Orange County, my dad approached me one day and told me that he would join the John Birch Society...but they don't accept Jews.
That was quite a transformation: from Poland, poverty, pogroms (all of his relatives - my grandparents / their offspring died in Treblinka- approximately, 6 KM from Kosow Lacki, his hometown), to FDR Democrat, to advocating nuclear bombing (if necessary) of the Viet Cong in the 60's to a wanna be John Bircher.
Point: Robeson may or may not be responsible for the deaths of many minorities (he marched against the Nazi's pre WWII). But to have walked in his shoes, I think I can understand why he chose an alternative to the hypocrisy of "All men are created equal"...but some are white/ rich. and are better"!
By the way, I'm not aiming any vitriol or anger at you (RU4REAL)...we're all Rutgers fans, alums interested parties on this site. I was intrigued when I watched the movie about Ernie Davis / felt that Robeson's story should be told. I don't agree with Robeson's support of Stalin or the mass murders that were committed in Russia or the Anti Semitism that Robeson claimed he didn't see (there is a phenomenon called selective perception, perhaps he saw what he wanted to see).
I do feel that this story is COMPELLING. And should be told: WARTS and all.
MO
