Brooklyn, NY--In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of singer/actor/activist Paul Robeson, Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus is presenting an all-day event celebrating his life and evaluating his legacy on Saturday, February 28, in the Humanities Conference Hall. Admission is free.
Paul Robeson Foundation trustee and labor leader Henry Foner will make introductory remarks, as will Gale Stevens Haynes, Brooklyn Campus Provost.
A highlight of the day will be an address by acclaimed novelist Howard Fast, who will revisit the Peekskill Riot of 1949. A good friend of Robeson, Fast attended the singer's concert in Peekskill after which concert-goers leaving the premises were attacked by bigots while police looked the other way. Fast led a protest meeting about this incident. Author of works of historical fiction including Spartacus, Citizen Tom Paine and Freedom Road, Fast also authored the best-seller, The Immigrants, the first in a six-book series that ended last year with An Independent Woman.
Many facets of Robeson's complex legacy will be explored by historians, popular culture enthusiasts and playwrights. Among the talks are: "Paul Robeson and Classical Music"; "Black Whitman: Robeson, Hughes, Ellington and the Double V Campaign in World War II"; "The Political Writings and Activities of Eslanda Goode Robeson" (his wife); "Robeson's Political and Cultural Odyssey as Charted in The New York Times"; "All-American Athlete: A Black Paul Robeson in a White Rutgers College"; and "Nerves and Brains: Paul Robeson and the Film Emperor Jones (1933).
Joe Dorinson, professor of history at LIU and coordinator of last spring's well-received conference on Jackie Robinson, is organizing the Robeson celebration. He will speak on "Athletes and Activists at Armageddon: Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson Face Off before the House's Un-American Activities Committee."
History Professor Andrew Bunie of Boston College, author of a forthcoming biography of Paul Robeson and specialist in 20th century immigration, race and ethnicity, will speak on Robeson's college days--in particular, the hardships and triumphs of being a black All-American athlete in the early part of this century. Three Cultural Events Planned
The day will conclude with three cultural events. The first is a short dance work for four women that explores the eternal human struggle with personal grief and the courage to move beyond its embrace. Choreographed by LIU Dance Professor Noel Hall, it is set to the music of Liz Story and Maurice Durufle. This will be followed by a presentation by the students and staff of Paul Robeson High School, which is located in Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant section.
Capping the occasion will be a performance of "The Ballad for Americans," an 11-minute choral work that electrified the country when Robeson sang it over CBS radio in 1939. It will be performed at the Brooklyn Campus by the New York City Labor Chorus and New York's All-City High School Orchestra. Written by John Latouche with music by Earl Robinson, the piece is both a hymn and a protest, including such lyrics as "man in a white skin can never be free/while his black brother is in slavery" and asserting that the greatness of America lies in its ordinary people, "the Etceteras and the And-so-forths, that do the work."
The Chorus and Orchestra also will perform such Robeson anthems as: "Old Man River," "Joe Hill," "Go Down Moses" and "The House I Live In." The featured soloist is Percy T. McCrae and the conductor is Jeff Fayerweather.
A Renaissance man, Paul Robeson (1898-1976) excelled in music, drama, language, athletics, scholarship, oratory and political action.
"He was a victim of cold war politics and did not receive the recognition he richly deserved for his extraordinary achievements," says Dorinson. "Many young people today never heard of Paul Robeson, while those older might remember him as just a powerful singer or primarily as a victim of McCarthyism.
"Our one-day commemoration at Long Island University will reexamine Robeson, the man, bringing him into historical focus, exploring his legacy and celebrating his unique accomplishments at a critical juncture in the history of Americans' struggle for freedom and civil rights," he adds. -30- Editors: A photo of Paul Robeson is available.
For more information;
Contact Michele Forsten, Director of Public Relations
Phone: 718-488-1015
Email: [email protected]
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