Listening to Susan Robeson’s speech about her grandfather, the legendary artist and activist Paul Robeson, in extremely interesting on different levels. To begin with, the first thing I personally notice is that she does not have the speaking power of her grandfather. This is important. Her message itself is strong and her stories carry a great deal of meaning. At the same time, the speech suffers because this woman has no real ability to hold an audience. She repeats herself and sometimes is at a loss for the right words. She also sometimes expresses that she herself is moving away from what she intends to say. It is then all the more important that the story itself is so powerful. The reality of Paul Robeson’s life is so meaningful, his granddaughter’s weakness as a speaker does not really lessen the impact. I would even argue that this weakness highlights the subject. That is, Susan speaks like an ordinary person and this makes the content seem all the more real. The average listener like myself can more “relate.”
In terms of what she has to say, Susan Robeson’s speech is nothing less than inspiring. It is ordinary to think of Paul Robeson as a great entertainer and activist. Still, this legendary image cannot convey the reality of the many decades of effort. This is the reality Susan brings to the listener. It comes through in story after story, all based on the very real experiences of her grandfather. There is an opportunity for a true education here, in fact. Paul Robeson’s life and career presents different perspectives on major historical events and social concerns. In Susan’s stories, we get the real sense of how one man was reacting to a changing world and changing it himself. To begin with, Susan makes it clear that her both her parents were on the “front lines” of Civil Rights activism.
It is important that she emphasizes this because it is easy to forget that Robeson was doing what no other entertainer of his time did. In her father’s time artists did not address social concerns. They existed only to entertain and no other men of her grandfather’s stature broke through this barrier. Then, it is also easy to lose sight of how radical his marriage to a white woman was. Her parents had to travel with bodyguards because a mixed marriage was illegal in most states. Robeson would go on tour with his wife and their lives would be threatened. This personal reality alone helps me to understand how brave this man was. I also gain an understanding of the 20th century “mixed” views of such a respected performer. The public of the world loved his talent but still resisted his freedom to marry whom he chose, and because of a racism he refused to accept.
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"Reflection on Paul Robeson: Pioneering the Artist as Global Peace Activist".
Two other qualities of Susan Robeson’s speech impress me a great deal. This first is the noted information. In plain terms, there is a great deal here and her grandfather’s life as a public figure was highly complex. It also addressed decades of injustices. Susan claims that activists today cannot understand how groundbreaking her grandfather’s work was. Robeson’s work as a performer led to much travel and he saw the rise of Fascism as it developed. He understood how different cultures were changing in dangerous way, and that artists were important in fighting this. Susan quotes her father as insisting that artists must raise their voices against the injustice, no matter the risks. Robeson faced real threats to his safety in Barcelona while speaking out against the rise of Fascism. When he was forced to perform at a segregated concert in Kansas City, Robeson did as his contract demanded. At the same time, he introduced his performance by saying that he was doing it against his will. He then opened with the song, “Jim Crow.” Learning of new lynchings of blacks in the early 1940s, Robeson actually challenged President Truman to act. Then, as the atomic age dawned, Robeson had been forced to sign a waiver agreeing to not speak out on social and political issues. Still, Robeson found ways around this. Records exist revealing that he urged American blacks to stand up against any American aggression to the Soviet Union. It is simply remarkable to me how this man never relaxed in his fight against injustice, decade after decade.
The other quality of the speech that moves me is the more personal idea we get of Paul Robeson. Susan Robeson adds her own perspectives on race. She makes it clear that all people owe their lives to African ancestors who have been identified by science. We are all then African, no matter our individual races, because evolution began in Africa. In her view this reality makes our concerns about being “others” absurd. It also reflects her grandfather’s belief in all people being more alike than different. Recordings of Paul Robeson add great impact to the speech as he talks about the music of different cultures. First of all, his powerful voice is commanding. He sings with no music and this also adds to the sense of confidence he projects.
Then, I can feel how the audiences relate to him in the recordings. He talks about how African melodies are like Chinese music and that of other cultures, and you can hear the applause after only a few bars of a folk song. In these wonderful recordings, Robeson’s humor and casual style make the point that culture is universal and we all share sounds and feelings. The listener actually feels his warmth and sincerity. This in turn adds a great deal to Susan’s own speech because it brings Robeson to us directly. Her praise of her grandfather takes on new meaning because we can appreciate his power as we hear it. All of this combines to give me a strong sense of the man’s courage and insight. Susan Robeson early on expresses that her grandfather gave a dignity to African American culture that did not otherwise exist. Through the many stories she relates and the actual recordings of Paul Robeson, this is a truth I very much feel.
- Robeson, Susan. Reflection on Paul Robeson: Pioneering the Artist as Global Peace Activist. International and Global Engagement. 2012. Audio File.
