THE TALLEST TREE IN OUR FOREST

[Music] World War II was over the defeat of the Axis powers triggered jubilant scenes like this all over the world the joyous celebrations rang with a hope for the future that there would be Justice and prosperity for all but none of these celebrations were without the sad remembrance of the countless lives that made Victory possible a particular National sorrow was the death of President Roosevelt Paul Robson would read Carl sandberg's eulogy to President Roosevelt during that period of national mourning as the world settled into peace Paul Robson continued in his sea of many Pursuits he had broadened his study of World Language deepened his analysis of languages and by now he was competent in some 30 languages Welsh Swedish Chinese French Spanish German eight African languages and Japanese he also continued his activism in the Trade union movement that he had begun in the 30s Harry Truman was now president of a nation that still seemed unable to solve the problem of racism the post-war grab for jobs rekindled old conflicts and hatreds but those of us who are involved in the second war second war World War some us really felt that uh in the struggle against fascism with all the things that we have been propagandized by our own uh government we were told about all the evils of the Axis powers but if we were to participate fully and to give of ourselves in this struggle against fascism that when we came back part of the Conquering armies Victorious hord that we would uh as a group as blacks be looked upon by the larger society with infinitely different eyes with greater compassion with greater care uh uh with a greater sense of warmth and camaraderie that we would begin to participate fully in all that the United States had to offer the American way of life quote unquote had to offer and uh most of us return to a to an excruciatingly cruel experience there was a an intense reaction by the white community in this country particularly in the South they gouged out the eyes of a war hero by the name of Isaac wooded it was a campaign of lynching and shooting and murder that was and it was and and they said in fact that it was now to put the [ __ ] back in their place we had been to Europe we' had been to Asia we had fought in the War we had learned all these things we'd had a taste of of Freedom or at least had been propagandized towards that end and now that we were back it was time for us to understand what our real position was the Klux Clan grew lynchings and brutality scarred the nation on September 23rd 1946 thousands of black and white Americans met at the steps of the Lincoln monument in Washington as members of a 100 day American crusade to end lynching co-chair by Paul Robson and Albert Einstein President Truman received a delegation from that crusade in his White House Oval Office Robson LED that delegation and read a petition asking that Truman include in his next message to Congress a recommendation for the passage of federal anti- lynching legislation Truman refused and Robson told him flatly that if the United States government didn't stop lynching black people would Rob also stepped up his criticism of America's involvement in Africa as chairman of the Council on African Affairs that he founded in 1937 he called for support of African Independence and rallied behind a strike by South African gold miners he raised a human cry against the economic rape of Africa by Western powers and remember now these were the late 40s and what Robson was doing criticizing America well you just didn't do those things especially if you were a black man however famous in 1948 former vice president Henry Wallace was running for the presidency on the new Progressive Party ticket that Robson helped found Robson saw Wallace as far more preferential to Harry Truman who was from Missouri and his running mate Albin Barkley from Kentucky also running for that nomination was States writers STM Thurman and Fielding Wright all vying for the Democratic nomination Thomas dwey was a republican nominee Wallace carried a pink old label however but Robson gave him his full support campaigning endlessly across the country the Pinko label was gradually put on Robson Wallace was defeated by Truman for the Democratic nomination Truman would be the surprise Victor over the heavily favored Thomas E doy Robson began to get bad press increasingly his name provoked controversy his support of Wallace his friendship with Russia and his of expressed admiration for many aspects of socialism as well as his close friendship with New York city councilman Benjamin J Davis of the Communist Party All served to make the very mention of robson's name in some circles cause for argument but Robson would not Bend he maintained his Soviet TI publicly he knew that his highly lucrative artistic career was in Jeopardy now and that he would be vilified but Paul Robson was an unusual man reared with high moral principles by a highly principled father it was on this moral Bedrock that he would take his stand never compromise your principles no matter what never take low Robson had long since concluded that the plight of the underprivileged was brought on by the abuses of privilege he saw this as the root of Africa's troubles and of afro Amer and of many other exploited peoples and he said so in full face of America's cold war with Russia became the concerted effort of the reactionary forces in this country to stay that to not only mute it but to turn it back as strongly as possible it was very hard to to turn us against one another on a onetoone basis on just on a black white basis they had to find the handle and the hand was communism and uh on the one hand here we were clearly the allies of the Soviet Union another and the yugoslavians and Tito and all who were blown up as great Heroes and great allies in the second world war then we were told those of us who expressed any any love for Russian Art whether it was tall story orof of or anything you know but all of a sudden there was this new turn of events there was none of this was uh koshan nothing Russian was acceptable and uh uh this wave the wave of reactionism began to build and build and build and communism became clearly the Target and anyone who spoke about integration anyone who spoke about Labor anybody who spoke about pulling together anybody who spoke about anything that said that there is a Jeff the Jeffersonian concept is a beautiful concept let's try to P it let's fill it let's fulfill that mandate uh became a clear Target or reactionaries and they set up many instruments with which to do this the most important the most powerful was huak house on American activities commit questions came from all directions with the same theme is Robson a communist he swore under oath before a California State Legislative hearing that he was not a member of the Communist party but still the questions came there was indeed a National Climate Affair red baiting was rampant in those days the editor of Harlem's Amsterdam news relates an incident in Harlem that illustrates some of the tensions that existed at the time baseball pitcher Don nuk was in this very bar when Paul Robson entered with some friends one of whom spotted the Brooklyn Dodger hero and innocently expressed a wish for nukem's autograph but he Paul Rosa got up went over to Nukem t table and said Don look I was sitting right there he said Don one of your fans over here would like to have your autograph and uh I was stunned as everybody else said nuk went into a rage and started to rant and said get away from me I don't have nothing to do with you I'm getting ready to go in the army to fight your kind of people well as I said everybody was stunned what was his re looked at him and start to I mean he rose up because he Paul could get he he could get angry very fast you see and uh when robon started to rise the GU Nukem stood up and when Nukem stood up and there was two these two Giants and both of them were giants in this small Red Rooster bar and uh pretty soon I mean uh the people haven't heard this uh uh one guy sitting there said I don't know but nothing's going to happen to PA and I saw a guy switch his pull his blad see and by that time I mean uh it was not a matter of choosing up sides it was just a matter of everybody coming to Paul's side and nuk them back down robon was barred from several public and broadcast appearances even Elanor Roosevelt succumb to The Growing disenchantment With Robson Paul Robson Ted overseas is on a heavy concert schedule and true to form he refused to avoid going to Russia during that tour he went to Paris to participate in the world peace Congress better known as the Paris peace conference it was attended by delegates from 60 countries including artist Pablo Picasso and web Deo Robeson delivered a short unprepared speech that intensified his troubles back in America when it was reported Dr deoy recalled the most explosive part of that speech I went to Paris to attend the great Paris peace Congress which was I think on the whole the greatest uh meeting of human beings I ever attended it was a magnificent meeting I took part and uh and especially talked about colonies and emancipating colonies Paul Robson flew from Prague and took part and said that he didn't believe that colored men would ever join in any war against Russia that statement caused strong reaction back in the States many thought the remark unpatriotic others found it treasonable in the midst of that reaction Jackie Robinson whose entrance into Major League Baseball was at least partly due to robson's early advocacy made this voluntary statement before a hearing Committee in Washington I've been asked to express my views on Paul Rob and statement in Paris to the effect that American Negroes would refuse to fight in any war against Russia because we love Russia so much I hav't any comment to make except that on that statement except that if Mr Robson actually made it it sounds very silly to me well his reaction was one of of great compassion for Jackie Robinson he said that that uh he must have suffered for what they made him do and suffered a long time so instead of feeling I Told You So or any gloating over Jackie Robinson's change of heart he only felt sorry for Jackie Robinson perhaps none of the hatred and vilification thrown at Robeson ever rivaled what he encountered in 1949 the summer of that year he scheduled a concert for the benefit of the Harlem chapter of the C rights Congress it was to take place in Peak Skill New York the forces of anti-Semitism and anti-black were wedded to the forces of anti-communism and they descended on a mixed crowd of 20,000 persons who would come to hear a man named Robeson sing folk songs about Freedom coming along here is another group of veterans apparently they have broken up their parade in the section police have detour the traffic to keep the street on which the veterans are traing free of cars all cars have been circling around the area entering the concert grounds from what would amount to the rear there got a group of young boys here yelling at the people from their [Applause] cars [ __ ] has been the first bit of violence I don't know who started it police are police have grabed someone here police are pushing everyone back the parade is broken up at the entrance and the veterans are running back here police helicopter is overhead the first bit of [Applause] violence situation has gotten very tense here there's no longer any ordered to the parade just men moving back and forth on the highway oh this is horrible fing f is trying fely to keep these people back the Poli are fighting the cup and they are beaing up a negro beating up cling him they're cling him you see Paul was fine as long as you know that that as long as he was a singer and a actor and a an Entertainer and a concert artist and everything else that was fine that was acceptable but when he began to uh uh more because there had been a history before the the point that you talking about the the late 40s uh when he began to more actively speak out against uh uh the oppression of black people and his intern National point of view then uh that wasn't uh that wasn't acceptable and that's when the the the the attacks began to happen when when uh uh an artist began to say well I am am a citizen and I am I understand the importance that politics have in in my own life and and economics and all of these things that began to intelligently speak upon uh and about the issues then that was not uh that that's when he began to undergo what you describe as the turning point of this this this this fusel this this this uh Massive Attack to uh uh to destroy him a curtain of Silence fell over Robson it was as though he had been obliterated with a giant eraser from the best known man on Earth he became a man whose name could only be whispered the final blow came from the US state department his passport was was Revolt Not only was I not allowed to go out but I was also prevented from actually appearing in my own land uh concert hols were denied to me for for many years I was refused to theaters I have never been on American television for example that is I've been blacklisted as have many of my colleagues in America for for whatever for whatever reason as you saw the other day Offa Miller was was in difficulty but in many of our cases it meant that we couldn't even so I haven't been able to practice my craft there so I would say no you can't I do not regret in any sense what I have done I had uh some of my friends feel I could have done things in other ways one has to do them as one sees life I regret I can't even use the term regret I'm very proud in one sense of any contribution I've been able to make to the struggles of my people so if you want freedom you have to suffer sometime basic stands that he always took one of the elements in his uncompromising position is that he felt that his own personal success could not in any way be used to push aside the oppression of blacks of his whole people in America and he made that not just a national issue but an international issue and the cry was going up well you shouldn't you shouldn't expose America's internal problems on the international Arena he said on the contrary everywhere I go I'm going to do that everywhere in the world I'm going to call attention to the fact that there is no democracy no equality for blacks in America so that was one reason the second reason is that uh he felt that and he said quite definitely that blacks should claim their rights and take them not beg for them then something unexpected happened the black community stood up and threw its arms around Paul his own people for whom he had for so hard and long and had sacrificed so much for came to his defense he had a platform now and he had an audience I've had a very tremendous success at home do a great deal to support which would interest you from the Negro people in the Negro churches I had chances to sing and my whole career has been reestablished in America by way of the Negro churches very interesting looking back is that in spite of everything they did and tried to do the dead to isolate him to crush him economically politically even physically in the sense that that he was followed he was all kinds of things um he survived and he survived without compromising without as he put it stepping back 1,000 part of one inch and uh not only survived but bit by bit from the times in 1950 and 51 where people were so frightened that many friends of of his wouldn't wouldn't cross the street to uh say hello or would just step aside or even cross to the other side of the street not to be seen with him with some very fascinating exceptions at at that kind of time uh Dizzy Gillespie spoke of his friendship for Paul Robeson from the stage of the Apollo Theater and Charlie Parker uh uh came from wherever he was to step on stage at at at a rally that Dad was speaking said yeah Paul Robeson is my friend I don't care what they say about him so there were some very courageous and and very moving exceptions to that he used to come to see me I remember one time uh in in the midst of his uh troubles you know the troubles that he was having with the government and denial of of opportunity to proceed to pursue his lihood uh he just been at a a a meeting there was a meeting on5th Street and I was appearing at Apollo at the time and I you know and I went I was in the audience you know to listen to him speak and I went back to the theater and then I got a telegram a little later saying that he was in the show he went and caught the performance but he didn't come backstage because he want didn't want to suggest reject me to any kind of a harassment anything I say I call him up and I say if I got to be harassed by your presence I'll take it I that be my cross to be me be my own cross yes because uh he was really something special from abroad came waves of support and sympathy 16 members of British Parliament petitioned the US state department to let Paul Robson go without a passport Robison could not leave the country but even that didn't cut him off from the world had loved him so he gave an incredible concert at the Canadian border before tens of thousands who were standing on the other side it went largely unreported you went through the years and you've examined other years where the full heat was on this man yes and the Crux of the question was whether or not he was a communist mhm what do you have to say about it well actually he his the the things for which he was persecuted like the Council on African Affairs were things which today are not considered subversive of course after the African countries have now achieved their independence it's all right to be for independence of Africa after the fact but uh his beliefs uh as you know he testified uh that he was not at one time he testified that he was not a member of the Communist party then he stopped making he refused to uh make any such statements because that was being used against people for denial of passports or denial of employment and he refused to take an oath because he was opposed to it in principle but in terms of his own beliefs he had through his uh humanistic concern through the Brotherhood of Man concept he had developed the idea as others did of our people like Dr dub Bo and Ben Davis Jr and others that uh we needed to have a a more ethical form of society than we have now he gave a transatlantic concert by telephone for the Welsh miners in Wales perhaps one of the most moving and emotional of his long concert career hello Paul Robson on behalf of the South WS Miners and all the people gathered at this ice Deadwood I extend to you warm greetings of friendship and respect our people deplore the continued refusal of your government to return your passport and to deny you the right to join with us in our Festival of song we shall continue to exert what influence we can to overcome this position my warmest greetings to the people of my beloved whales and a special hello to the miners of South Wale at this great Festival it is a great privilege to be participating in this historic festival and all the best to you as we strive toward a world where we all can live abundant peaceful and dignified life [Music] Theon he was awarded the Stalin Peace Prize but he couldn't go to Russia to claim it he received it instead in New York Dr Duo was also a recipient and I can recall when I was a uh credited correspondent at the United Nations uh Ron won the stalen award and uh uh Ron came back to the United States I was sitting in a press room there on the third floor and I said to some of the guys there you know uh hey I about it let's go over and I I know where Robson is let's go over and interview him on this staling award and uh I mean uh shot with hey are you have you lost your mind and I said what do you mean man look you know I mean FBI be around that place so much that you know you probably couldn't get in and if you get it and I mean you know uh you got a tag on you so uh I said well I'm going over and the guy said you really going I went over and I interviewed her and uh on my way home when I I was living in Brookland when I got to Brooklyn that evening got out of my car in front of my house a part place two FBI Men actually had pil me from Manhattan too and they stopped me on the street and talked to me asked me I mean uh because I asked well you know why are you following me I said is it because I uh interview Paul roer today from his JL Terrace apartment in Manhattan he recorded and sent a film message to the 1957 World Youth Festival in Moscow it is indeed a great privilege to be able to say a few words to this historic conference Conference of the Youth of the world demanding peace and friendship among all the peoples of the earth and it's the source of deep regret that many of us here in America are not able to be with you in person but know that thousands and thousands in our land want peace cultural exchange and friendship as do you I recall vividly the days of my own son's youth spent with many of you in the Soviet Union in England and in other lands the he also sends his warmest greetings all success in these most important deliberations to all of you boy where are you hiding if you don't come I'm going to tell you Daddy there Ain no hand that's on this mountain that rings are like M Bo that rings are like a mine I bu this rock boys from here to make them all the way to the jail boys yes back to the jail it's part of it work song but we you've often heard me sing I'm sure finally the US state department was forced to yield to the crush of protests from around the world as well as from the US Supreme Court ruling in July of 1958 robson's passport was returned after eight long years most importantly however were the questions raised by the state department as to my political opinions here's a question of whether one who wants to sing and act can have as a citizen political opinion and uh in attacking me they suggested that when I was abroad I spoke out against injustices to the Negro people in the United States I certainly did and the Supreme Court Justice just ruled uh judge Warren in the segregation cases that world opinion had a lot to do with that ruling that our children negro children can go to school like anybody else in the South I'm very proud to have been a part of directing World opinion to precisely that condition the second that I fight for the independence of the colonial peoples of Africa a bandom the colored peoples of the world assemble made it clear that nobody is going to tell them what to do they're going to have the independent I'm proud of that the third that I fight for peace and friendship with the Soviet Union at Geneva the president of the United States made it clear that nobody wants to go to war with the Soviet Union no Americans want to fight them and I presume certainly the Negro people of the United States don't want any war with them either nobody does because we want peace and friendship in the world and rather absurd that the Soviet farmers can be here in the United States that Baptist preachers can be in Moscow and Farmers that are not allowed to travel because of my friendship open spoken friendship that's right for the Soviet people and for the peoples of all the world and I want to be able very soon I hope uh to pursue my career as a singer as an actor uh still have a pretty good voice rolling around they tell me yet what a boy where are you hiding and I want to play a fellow almost immediately he was off on a triumphant World concert tour incredibly he showed not bitterness nor resentment it was a spectacular tour spanning England Wales France and Russia it was a standing room only Affair wherever he went the gentle Warrior the man of unbending principle had returned [Music] the [Music] Lord to give you an idea of how highly Robison was esteemed in Russia a mountain has been given his name yes a mountain [Music] [Applause] [Music] after this tour are you going to go back to the United States well I hope to be here for an extended tour but as I just said before uh one wonderful thing is happen happen you must remember that with all the struggles that I'm very proud to say that the struggle has been won in my own case in my own land in America and as I pointed out I have just finished a long concert tour All Over America and as a matter of fact if I hadn't gotten my passport I would be now singing in the largest halls in America at the highest prices so I I intend to I intend to go back sometime back in America America the Civil Rights Movement was underway many of the ideas and principles that Robson had expressed decades earlier were now being echoed sadly by many who didn't even know who Paul Robson was robson's concert career continued he also gave his last interpretation of aell in London in 1965 tragedy struck his wife Isa passed away [Music] that same year robon was forced into retirement his health had begun to fail his retirement would be permanent he would live with his sister Marian in quiet seclusion in Philadelphia Robson was afflicted with the deteriorative disease called arteriosclerosis he saw only his family and close friends now no interviews were ever given Robson felt that his track record spoke for itself and who could argue in his retirement he watch world events unfold on television he watched as many of the issues on which he had taken a stand proven right how ironic it must have been for Robson to sit and watch American Presidents visit Russia and China especially Richard Nixon Who as a young Congressman had been such an avid red biter and communist hater during those Witch Hunt days of the 50s and how good Robson must have felt as he watched one African nation after another attain the Independence that he had advocated ated for so long in 1973 a tribute to Paul Robson was given at New York's Carnegie Hall in celebration of his 75th birthday it was put together by some of those who loved him and had fought with him down through the years the proceeds of the tribute were used to establish the Paul Robson archives a nonprofit organization that would collect preserve and catalog the life work of Paul Robson on Friday January 23rd 1976 at noon death claimed Paul [Music] Robeson We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder We Are Climbing Jacob's lad We Are Climbing J Up's ladder we're soldiers of the I think that we have all been fortunate to have had this man walk the earth Among Us in him uh we have had a vision really of how beautiful the human race uh can become he is a man as I see it of the future and higher we're solders all the cross rise and shine and give God the glory rise and shine and give God the glory rise and shine and give God the [Music] glory the physical remains of Paul Robson end here but what about the man's story surely it represents a major chapter in America's history the tragedy is that story has hardly been told mass media has in fact suppressed large amounts of information about this man despite exhaustive research we were unable to come up with precious little news film that was shot of this man here in this country you undoubtedly noticed how much still photographs we had to use and what little motion picture that we did include in this documentary came from overseas not even the Library of Congress has much to offer in film on this man Paul robon where is that film we ask we also ask why has his name not been listed in our books books about our history America's history the history of the Civil Rights Movement the American Arts we also ask why his name has not been listed on the Football Hall of Fame maybe now in death his name will rise up again and claim its proper place in our history certainly our children should know that story it is a story of strength and gentleness commitment and unbending principle [ __ ] you a wait or two before you go I have done the state some service and they know it no more of that I pray you in your letters when you shall these unlucky Deeds release speak of me as I am nothing extenuate nor set down H in Nar then must you speak of one that loved the fool wisely but too well we We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder we are climb in Jacob's Ladder we're soldiers in this fight for