Paul Robeson (169 page)

17
. Other examples of “good news being trumpeted abroad” about PR's condition are: the Watkinses to PR, April 12, 1971; Harry Francis to PR, Jr., July 26, 1971—both in RA. The summer of 1972, indeed, was apparently a relatively long “up” period for Robeson, since even Lee Lurie, who knew his actual prognosis well, wrote Harold Davison in London that “at the last visit with Paul Sr., it was heartwarming in the respect that he was almost his old self albeit that his exposure to the public is as yet completely counter-indicated” (July 2, 1971, RA). Evidence that Marian
did
occasion ally let in an unexpected or uncertified caller is in my interviews with Edith Tiger (June 17, 1985), Hazel Dodge (Nov. 7, 1983), and Theodora Peck (April 8, 1982); also in Percy La Bohne to Marian Forsythe, April 10, 1973, thanking her “for permitting Rosalie to bring me by,” and a postcard from Leila McKenzie to PR, n.d., in which she writes, “Do hope no harm was done to you by my unexpected visit” (the letter and card are courtesy of Paulina Forsythe, plus pictures taken by a Rose Kricheff, showing her sitting with Paul on a couch in Marian's living room); Louise Oswell to PR, June 29, 1971, also refers to a visit (courtesy of Paulina Forsythe). Occasion ally, an unannounced out-of-town friend of genuine reliability was kept away, the oversight too late to rectify; Chuck Moseley, for example, who had been Robeson's bodyguard in California, tried unsuccessfully to get through to him while passing through Philadelphia (interview with Moseley and Homer Sadler, May 3, 1982).

18
. Interview with Robert Sherman, March 21, 1983;
New York Times
, April 16, 1973; interview with Edith Tiger, June 17, 1985. A transcript of PR's taped message is in RA. On the day of his birthday, Marian filled the house with flowers and invited in a number of old friends and relatives (Bell,
Last Days
, p. 12). Bell's account of Robeson enjoying “every minute” and “chatting quietly” is contradicted by Gertrude Cunningham's recollection that she had to grab his hand to prevent him from putting it absentmindedly into the birthday cake (interview with Cunningham, April 1982).

19
.
The New York Times
, April 16, 1973.

20
. The large batch of tributes, spoken and written, are in RA, along with the souvenir program of the Carnegie Hall event. Among the many others who expressed their admiration were Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, Zebbediah M. Gamanya (chief representative of FROLIZI, the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe), Jorge Amado, nineteen members of the House of Commons (including Harold Wilson, Roy Jenkins, James Callaghan, Barbara Castle, Denis Healey, Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Tom Driberg, Anthony Crosland, and Andrew Faulds), Cesar Chavez, Robert Ryan, Leonard Bernstein, Linus Pauling, Eugene Carson Blake (past president of the National Council of Churches)—and Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (“We often recall your magnificent performance of Othello … and we continue to enjoy your recordings”). The following year the Congressional Black Caucus gave Robeson its Special Award of Merit, and Congressman John Conyers, Jr., from Michigan read into the
Congressional Record
his remarks at a special salute to PR at a Detroit high school, as well as a Washington
Star
review of a PBS “Interface” documentary on Robeson's life (Charles B. Rangel and Walter E. Fauntroy to PR, n.d., RA [Merit]; Conyers to PR, Jr., June 20, 1975, RA;
Congressional Record
, June 19, 1975).

21
.
The Rutgers
Daily Targum
(April 10, 1973) reports “a noted lack of excitement” and a small turnout for the tribute to PR; Branson to PR, March 14, April 10, 1973 (Lincoln); Acklyn Lynch to PR, Jr., May 11, July 14, 1973 (U. Mass.); Allan P. Barron to PR, July 13, 1973 (Black Sports); FBI New York 100-38128-244. The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame continued to be a holdout to the general trend of honoring Robeson. Rutgers's president, Edward J. Bloustein, and its head football coach, Dr. John F. Bateman, joined forces in securing a belated Rutgers nomination, but the Hall of Fame continued to turn it down. Bateman protested angrily to Vincent Draddy, chairman of the Hall's honors committee, and another Robeson supporter, Sam Woldin, carried the protest to Jimmie McDowell, the Hall's executive director. McDowell's laconic response was that “Loyalty to America is involved. The National Football Foundation honors men who honor the game and who honor the country” (Bateman to Committee, June 23, 1970; Bateman to Draddy, Sept. 23, 1970; Woldin to Foundation, Oct. 1, 1971; McDowell to Woldin, Oct. 12, 1971; Woldin to McDowell, Oct. 19, 1971—copies in RA;
The Afro-American
, Dec. 12, 17, 1970). As if to prove its claim that “only” politics and not race was involved in the decision to reject Robeson, the Hall in 1970 elected Bill Willis, a black player from Ohio State, and dug back into the early 1900s to elect an obscure black Minnesota player named Bobby Marshall. The Memorial Concert program for Larry Brown is in RA; the text of PR's message (a brief, formal tribute) is printed in the
Daily World
, Feb. 20, 1973. In what was probably his last letter to them, Larry Brown sent Paul and Marian New Year's “Greetings from God's Town” [Harlem] and wishing them good health “if you … can get it” (Dec. 29, 1971, courtesy of Paulina Forsythe). Yergan to PR, Nov. 4, 1974, RA.

22
. Fritchman to Marian Forsythe, Sept. 28, 1975, enclosing a copy of his remarks about Robeson to the First Unitarian Church, courtesy of Paulina Forsythe; multiple interviews with Freda Diamond; Lloyd L. Brown, “Paul Robeson Today” and “Paul Robeson Rediscovered,” copies in RA.

23
. Phone interview with Dr. Herbert E. Cohen, March 17, 1987; Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin
, Jan. 23, 1976 (spokesman); multiple conversations with Helen Rosen and with PR, Jr.

24
. The headline and editorial are from the New York
Amsterdam News
, Jan. 31, 1976; the poem from Bil [sic] Brown, enclosed in a letter to Judge George W. Crockett, Nov. 6, 1977, RA. I will not attempt to cite separately the huge number of personal messages and public obituaries collected in RA.

25
. New York
Amsterdam News
, Jan. 31, 1976;
Daily World
, Jan. 29, 1976;
Newsday
, Jan. 29, 1976. Gerry Bledsoe and her daughter Geraldine had visited Paul several times at Marian's specific invitation. She had written Gerry to encourage her to come by, thinking it might stimulate Paul to see old friends from his early years. However, Gerry found him “a sick man,” essentially unresponsive (as described in several letters, 1983–85, from Gerry Bledsoe to me).

26
. The full text of the eulogy and tributes is in RA. Both Paul and Eslanda Robeson are buried in Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York.

Index

Abbott, Robert S.,
123–4

Aborigines (Australia),
490–1

Abt, John,
508
,
510
,
524
,
745
n
15

Abzug, Bella,
696
n
22

Acheson, Dean,
389

Ackner, Brian,
502–5
,
508
,
512
,
533
,
743
n
11
,
745
n
23
,
748
n
32

Actors' Equity,
82
,
116–18
,
281
,
460
,
727
n
33
,
760
n
12

Adam, Ronald,
167

Adlam, Tommy,
218

Adler, Larry,
375

Afinogenov, Alexander,
185
,
629
n
3

Africa, ER and Pauli's 1936 trip to,
204–6

see also
African culture; Council on African Affairs

Africa Looks Up
(film), see
My Song Goes Forth

African culture,
72
,
616
n
54

ER's interest in and views on,
149
,
170
,
616
n
54
,
623
n
30
,
624
,
676
n
39
,
731
n
18

PR's interest in and views on,
72
,
129
,
170–81
,
198–204
,
623
n
30
,
n
32
,
n
36
,
624
n
38
,
625
n
44
,
635–6
n
42
,
721
n
32

films with African themes (1936),
202–4

nationalism rejected,
see
black nationalism; Robeson, Paul origins of PR's interest,
170–1

special destiny,
175

“unique essence” of African culture,
200
,
201

Norman Leys's views on,
199–202

Sanders of the River
(film) and,
178–82

African Journey
(ER),
293
,
412

African languages,
170
,
173–4
,
715
n
3

African music and songs,
121
,
129
,
176
,
179

African National Congress,
340
,
341
,
543

African nationalism,
172–5
,
201–2
,
635–6
n
42
;
see also
black nationalism; Robeson, Paul

Africa Sings
(film),
636
n
45

Afro-American, The
,
65
,
361
,
385
,
443
,
447
,
459
,
710
n
25
,
726
n
31
,
728
,
n
38

Afro-American Heritage Association,
726
n
28

Agate, James,
114
,
136
,
193
,
203

Ainley, Henry,
620
n
15

Akron Pros,
34

Albany, New York, cancellation of concert in (1947),
319–20

Alda, Frances,
82

Aldridge, Amanda Ira,
91
,
114
,
597
n
12
,
662
n
34

Aldridge, Ira,
xii
,
91
,
274–5
,
492
,
543
;
597
n
12
,
607
n
36

Aleichem, Sholem,
733
n
29

Alexander, Raymond Pace,
578
n
8

All African People's Conference (1958),
471
,
731
n
18

All-American football teams,
22
,
760
n
8

All God's Chillun Got Wings
(O'Neill)

London production of (1933),
165
,
167
,
599
n
22
,
621
n
24

Provincetown Players production,
55–9
,
63–7
,
588
n
47

black reaction,
65–6

Essie on,
66

O'Neill on casting of PR,
58

opening,
63–4
,
587–8
n
47

opposition to production,
57–9
,
63
,
64

permission to employ child actors denied,
63

PR on,
66

rehearsals,
63

reviews,
64
,
588
n
51

publication of,
56

Alpha Phi Alpha,
41
,
376–7
,
409
,
455–6
,
457–673
n
23
,
708
n
15
,
726
n
24

Alves, Bert,
401
,
409

Amado, Jorge,
406

Amateur Players (1920),
43

A.M.E. Zion Church (African Methodist Episcopal),
see
Mother A.M.E. Zion Church

American-African Affairs Association,
333

American Civil Liberties Union,
366
,
371
,
374
,
379
,
385

American Committee for Protection of the Foreign Born,
430

American Crusade,
306
,
307
,
673
n
26

American Federation of Labor (AFL),
281

American Indians,
624
n
40

American Labor Party,
392
,
430

American Legion,
366
,
371
,
375

American Mercury, The
,
56
,
64

American Missionary Association,
35

American Peace Crusade,
704
n
38

American Scholar, The
,
281

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA),
324
,
325

Ancient Mariner, The
,
59

Anderson, Eddie (“Rochester”),
259
,
260
,
261

Anderson, Garland,
61
,
136
,
162

Anderson, Hilda,
603
n
3

Anderson, Marian,
56
,
116
,
251
,
300
,
653
n
39
,
654
n
51