The artist must elect to fight for Freedom or Slavery
Short Hollywood career
Robeson was active in ihe film industry from 1932 to 1939. appearing in
"Body and Soul,” “ Borderline." " T h e Emperor Jones." "Sanders of the
R iv e r," "Show B o a t," "Song o f F reedo m ,” " K in g Solom on's M in e s ."
"Jerich o ." "B ig F ella ." "P rou d V alley.” and "Tales o f M an h attan ."
He saw the film as a tool for removing stereotypes. He was the first black
actor to demand the right to final approval o f his films; he was the first to re
fuse to work under segregated conditions. Although some o f his roles por
trayed black courage and integrity, he was not able to control the racism in
herent in the industry. His "song o f Freedom ” was considered a break
through. but it was buried and hardly seen. " B ig F ella” was based on a
story by Claude M cKay. In 1937 he left the industry: " I thought I could do
something for the Negro race in the films show the truth about them— and
about other people too. I used to do my part and go away feeling satisfied.
Thought everything was O .K . W e ll, it wasn’ t. Things were twisted and
changed—distorted. They d idn't mean Ihe same------So no more films for
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He did make two more films, "P ro u d Valley.” made in Wales about the
tribulations o f Ihe miners. It projected a black working man as a hero with
humor and cultural values. "Tales o f M a n h a tta n ." 1942, so disappointed
him that he tried to buy up all the prints.
Vlaitto the U S S R.
O n his way to the Soviet U nion in 1924, Robeson had his first taste o f
fascism while passing through Germany. The storm troopers reminded him
o f a lynch mob in America; then and there he vowed to fight fascism the rest
o f his life.
Robeson's welcome to the Soviet Union was a stark contrast. Everywhere
he went he was welcomed and honored. " I hesitated to come; I listened to
what everybody had to say but I didn’t think there would be any difference
from any other place." he said. “ But— maybe you’ll understand— I feel like
a human being for the first time since I grew up. Here I am not a Negro but
a human being . . . Here, for the first time in my life. I walk in full human
dignity.”
Having fully mastered the Russian language, he talked with many people
and was impressed with the lack o f racism and the social gains the nation
had made in only 20 years. He returned to London with a great love for the
Othello
Soviet people which he retained all o f his life.
When he returned to the concert lour in England, the most prominent
concert artist in the world, there was a marked difference. He sang in the
small halls, sometimes giving several performances a day, reaching the com
mon working people.
" I n Soviet Russia I breathed freely for the first time in my life ,” he said
in 1935. " I t is clear, whether a Negro is politically a Communist or not, that
o f all the nations o f Ihe w o rld , the modern Russians are our very best
friends."
He visited Ihe Soviet Union a number o f times and sent his son to Soviet
schools for two years.
Spanish Civil War
In 1933 H itle r rose to power in G erm any; in 1935 M u sso lin i’ s facists
marched against E th io p ia and the League o f N ations was deaf to H aile
Selassie’s pleas for help. The next year the facist Franco attacked the Span
ish Republic, backed by Germ any and Italy. Il was a dress rehearsal for
W orld W ar II but the nations o f Europe looked the other way.
New York City, 1939
Harriet Tubman
Though unable to read or write, Harriet Tubman
was described as "strong as a man, brave as a lion,
cunning as a fo x". The "Black Moses",she was the
leading conductor on the Underground Railroad
that guided slaves north to freedom. She made 19
trips to the South and freed some 300 slaves.
HOFFM AN
C O N S T R U C T IO N
CO M PANY
Page 8 Section II Portland Observer, February 23, 1983
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