The Sanctity of Culture: USA

“To be free—to walk the good American earth as equal citizens, to live without fear , to enjoy the fruits of our toil, to give our children every opportunity in life—that dream which we have held so long in our hearts is today the destiny that we hold in our hands.”

At a time when the acknowledgment of the African American culture within the United States was certainly questionable, Paul’s ominous voice rang clear a message of unity and tolerance. Paul Robeson, as a black man within the United States, possessed the unique status of acceptance, a pedestal from which he voiced his demands for equality, both social and poitical.

Though his opposition to racism won him profound support throughout the United States, he gradually began to fade from the public eye due to forces, often governmental, which sought to destroy his image through slander or by any other means. However, Paul’s commitment to the cause for social tolerance and for the rights of labor continued through his art and through his lasting involvement in the cultures of the world.

Listen to Paul sing "Joe Hill"
The Anthem of the Labor Movement

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