Paul's Philosophy

Paul Robeson an artist, activist, and scholar singed America and roused many African Americans from their slumber with his unparalleled eloquence, his unmitigated frankness, and his unrelenting demand for equality for all African-Americans.

For too long, African-Americans were victims of a racist nation too indifferent to their hardships to care. Robeson, one of the many leaders who would pave the way for the civil rights movement, felt the tides which would cleanse the nation of discrimination, prejudice, and violence, were not moving fast enough. He gazed at his watch and proclaimed the time for change was now. According to Robeson, not only must the demand for equality of African-Americans be direct and forthcoming, but it should also be loud, forceful, and unified. If the African-Americans channeled their frustrations, spirit, and passion into this one cause, if they banded together in huge numbers, if they pooled their resources and if they found the one voice which would serve as “the expression of the entire people on the central issue,” Robeson felt there was nothing that could not be achieved.

Unlike many African-American leaders of the time, Robeson knew that tacit tension would accomplish nothing. In order to fully grasp the rights, which were promised over one hundred years ago, every African-American must be active and believe that the remarkable was possible. He wanted the Blacks to be bold, to think big, and to put aside all differences to move forward.

Robeson’s concerns, however, were not limited to the black plight in America; his travels to countries such as England and Spain opened his eyes to the social, economic, and political injustices around the world. Socially conscious, he strove to use his talents to bring various peoples together and shed light on their sufferings and demands. In his career abroad, Robeson was able to understand the indelible link among the diverse working class around the world—the unmistakable bond between all of humanity.

Employing his singing and acting, Robeson’s defiant demand for equality and his philosophy of unification and action resonated not only in America but also across the world creating a path for the change to come.