Paul Robeson: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Paul Robeson was one of the great voices of the 20th century. He was both an acclaimed actor and singer. His portrayal of Othello on Broadway in the mid 1940s earned him praise, and his powerful bass-baritone voice captivated audiences around the world. He was also a social activist and staunch supporter of Soviet Russia. Fame won Robeson friends, but also some formidable enemies. In 1998, Paul Kennedy of the CBC Radio's Ideas prepared a documentary to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Paul Robeson's birth. Paul Robeson: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen pays tribute to this complex man again in 2016, on the 40th anniversary of his death.
Robeson grew up hearing his father's stories that detailed the brutality and injustice of plantation life when he was enslaved. As a young man, Robeson shone both academically and athletically, but nevertheless was a target of racism. He grew to be a charismatic and talented actor, but realized Hollywood would never allow him to play roles that depicted a complex, multifaceted man. His outrage at the injustice fuelled his activism.
"This was a man who was political practically from birth. He so carefully earned his positions and opinions that he became very stubborn about them. When he turned political, and then militantly radical, alot of his youthful rage came out." --Martin Duberman, Robeson Biographer
Robeson was black, progressive, political and stubborn, and that combination proved to be dangerous. He'd never made a secret of his leftist leanings. At the peak of his fame in the 1940's, Robeson went on worldwide speaking tours. He visited the Soviet Union numerous times, talking about glories of the socialist system. But as the political winds changed in the United States, FBI agents followed Robeson constantly. His career was destroyed, and he was called a traitor. The great African American singer who took the world by storm in the 1940s was unofficially blacklisted by the United States House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950's.
"It was a very difficult and tragic time. He was a prisoner in his own country. It was like cooping up a beautiful animal or a wonderful talent, not letting it flow free." -- Helen Rosen
Robeson believed the world's wealth should be shared, and there should be respect for minorities and underprivileged people. But his Societ sympathies were too much for many, and even Black leaders shunned him.
Biographer Martin Duberman described the sadness of Robeson's final years. During the 1960's he suffered from stress and depression, and attempted suicide twice. By the 1970's, Robeson had deteriorated to a "semi-vegetative state." His doctor prescribed barbiturates and shock treatment. Robeson died in Philadelphia at the age of 77. His gravestone reads "The artist must fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative."
Paul Robeson: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen first aired in 1998. Heard on the show were Robeson biographers Martin Duberman and Lloyd Brown. Also heard, two of Robeson's close friends: Ute Hagen and Helen Rosen. The documentary was prepared and presented by the host of CBC Radio's Ideas, Paul Kennedy.