i “america’s number one negro” (1939–1945) COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL cc01.indd01.indd 1 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:34:44:34 AAMM Paul with his Othello beard at the Enfield house in Connecticut, 1945. Photo by Eslanda Robeson. From the personal collection of Paul Robeson Jr. Paul speaking at a meeting in New York, 1939. Photo by Eslanda Robeson. From the personal collection of Paul Robeson Jr. cc01.indd01.indd 2 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:37:44:37 AAMM 1 the calling (1939 – 1940) n October 23, 1939, my father, Paul Robeson, the American Osinger, actor, and movie star, strode off the gangplank of the USS Washington in New York Harbor. He had come home from England with my mother, Eslanda (Essie), myself, and his longtime accompanist Lawrence “ Larry ” Brown one month after the start of World War II in Europe. In the wake of Hitler ’ s invasion of Poland and the subsequent declaration of war against Germany by Britain and France, Paul, after twelve glorious years in London, had decided he must return to his native Harlem to be with his people during a time of international crisis. Essie, gracefully regal in her manner, remained beautiful at forty - four. Although a wide streak of gray ran through her hair, her light olive complexion remained as smooth as ever, and her vivacious per- sonality had the same irresistible charm. Her five- foot - two - inch frame was beginning to thicken, but she countered with a fashionable ward- robe, an ever - expanding intellect, and undiminished energy. Larry, forty - eight, handsome, elegantly dressed, moved with an athletic grace that reflected his young days as one of Florida ’ s top amateur boxers. Paul, even in the swirl of passengers debarking at the Port of New York, was the center of attention. He had sailed out of that same harbor twelve years earlier as the “ King of Harlem, ” and now he returned as an international celebrity. He cut a striking figure. At forty- one years of age, with no trace of gray hair, standing six feet three inches tall with broad shoulders, 3 cc01.indd01.indd 3 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:37:44:37 AAMM 4 the undiscovered paul robeson a barrel chest, and a still narrow waist, he towered over most of the crowd. The engaging smile flashing in his dark brown face, the large, wide - set, expressive eyes, and his huge, athletic body gliding forward made him instantly recognizable. Admirers called to him from all sides. Gripping his music briefcase in his left hand, he saluted them with his right, tipping his fashionable Stetson hat. Two customs offi- cials, one white and one black, who had hurried out to meet our party as if we were visiting royalty, led the way. Grandma Goode, Essie ’ s mother, and a small group of friends greeted us as we emerged from the customs area. Ramrod straight, with her iron gray hair, high - top shoes protruding from under a long black dress, a cane, and a piercing gaze, Grandma was a disciplinar- ian. She had been my primary caregiver until my father liberated me a few years earlier to live with him and my mother, and I hoped that this arrangement would continue. The exchange of greetings was soon interrupted by the approach of a large group of reporters who bombarded Paul with questions, most of them controversial. Why had he returned from “ exile in London ” ? What was his “ current atti- tude on the race issue ” ? In step with the rising black resistance to segregation, Paul was deter- mined to make U.S. racism the main issue. He replied, “ My roots are here, and I always expected to come back. In England I considered prob- lems from the point of view of Africa; in this country I look at everything from the point of view of the Negro worker in Mississippi. I wanted success not for money, but so that I could say what I wanted. ” “ Are you a communist, Mr. Robeson? ” a reporter from the Hearst press yelled in response. “ I am not a communist, and I am not a fellow traveler; I ’ m an antifascist, ” Paul shot back. “ What about the Stalin - Hitler nonaggression pact? ” another reporter challenged. “ No matter what other countries do, including Russia, ” Paul answered, “ I think America should play a key role in building a worldwide antifascist coalition. You don ’ t negotiate with fascists — you fight them. ” “ But why won ’ t you criticize Stalin? ” the reporter persisted. “ Because in Russia I didn ’ t find any race prejudice, ” Paul answered 1 curtly. cc01.indd01.indd 4 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:38:44:38 AAMM the calling 5 For the third time, Essie, who didn’ t think Paul should deliberately antagonize the press, tried to terminate the impromptu press confer- ence. The first time, Paul had ignored her. The second time, he had waved her off peremptorily. Now he shrugged good- naturedly, waved, turned abruptly on his heels, and glided off with huge, rapid strides. Essie quickly organized us to fall in behind him, effectively block- ing off the press. Over the next several days, Paul arranged multiple interviews with the black press to make certain that his message was disseminated accurately to a nationwide black audience. His subtext conveyed the view that white racists were the main enemies of blacks and that Hitler ’ s Nazis were just like the racists. The Soviet people, who were strongly antiracist and anticolonialist, were the allies of blacks. For the next few weeks, we lived with Hattie and Buddy Bolling in their comfortable Harlem home, a huge apartment occupying most of the top floor at 188 West 135th Street in Harlem. To my great relief, I stayed there with my parents instead of being shunted off to live with Grandma in her Greenwich Village apartment. Hattie, a heavyset “ earth mother ” figure in her late forties with a smooth brown complexion and an outgoing disposition, had played the role of older sister to Essie for many years. Buddy, a thin, smallish man ten years older than she, worked at a service job in a major downtown office building. He smoked cigars, told wonderful stories, and had a dry sense of humor. The foursome shared a love for bid whist and spent long evenings at the card table. Paul rehearsed regularly with Larry, who lived on the floor below. Partners since 1925, the two men had become one of the world’ s best - known musical teams. Larry was a brilliant arranger and sensi- tive accompanist. He had helped Paul construct a vast repertoire of the world ’ s folk songs and provided a tenor counterpoint to Paul’ s bass baritone. Essie prodded Paul to accept any appropriate offer and make a quick reentry onto the American cultural scene. After his long absence abroad, procrastinating even a short while might jeopardize the impending lucrative fall - winter concert season. Paul rebuffed her good - naturedly, believing that an ideal offer would come his way. It soon did. • • • cc01.indd01.indd 5 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:38:44:38 AAMM 6 the undiscovered paul robeson The Pursuit of Happiness Hour was one of the most popular prime - time entertainments, radio being the principal mass medium of the day. The show ’ s producer, Norman Corwin, was a progressive activist with a keen ear for patriotic songs, and the left- wing composer Earl Robinson had written an eleven - minute - long populist cantata titled “ Ballad of Uncle Sam.” Corwin had a hunch that Robinson ’ s tribute to democ- racy would appeal to a sorely divided nation, where conservatives were fiercely attacking liberals over Roosevelt’ s New Deal and the new labor unions battled management to organize industrial plants. After hearing Robinson perform the cantata, Corwin renamed it “ Ballad for Americans” and, with Robinson ’ s enthusiastic agreement, called Bob Rockmore, Paul’ s combined attorney, agent, financial manager, and friend, with an offer for Paul to sing it on his radio program. Bob and his Russian - born musician wife, Clara, were both dear to Paul. Short, chain - smoking, balding, and about Paul ’ s age, with piercing eyes and a businesslike manner, Bob had earned Paul ’ s abiding trust. From a working- class Lower East Side Jewish back- ground, he was a partner in the distinguished law firm Barron, Rice and Rockmore, and as one of the East Coast’ s most accomplished entertainment lawyers, he stayed keenly aware of Paul ’ s professional and financial needs. Bob promptly forwarded Corwin’ s offer to Paul, along with the music for “ Ballad for Americans ” and an attached personal note from Corwin. With Larry at the piano, Paul bit into the cantata like a ripe peach, savoring its everyday language and folk - inspired structure. From the outset of his singing career, Paul had rejected the classical operatic style. Instead, he had adapted his singing technique to his physical attributes. His vocal cords were not particularly strong, but his enormous fifty - one - inch chest expansion, wide throat, large pal- ate, and broad nasal cavity were a sublime match for folk music. Paul also realized that John LaTouche ’ s simple lyrics were ideally suited to the delivery of a progressive message in song. Throughout the piece, soloist and chorus relate America ’ s struggle for democracy. They tell about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and “ Old Abe Lincoln, thin and long ” : His heart was high and his faith was strong; But he hated oppression, he hated wrong. cc01.indd01.indd 6 111/23/091/23/09 66:44:39:44:39 AAMM the calling 7 And he went down to his grave to free the slaves.