|
''Here I Stand'' is a book written by Paul Robeson with the collaboration of Lloyd L. Brown. While Robeson wrote many articles and speeches,''Here I stand'' is his only book. It has been described as part manifesto, part autobiography. Published in 1958 by Beacon Press it is dedicated to his wife Eslanda Goode Robeson. ==Contents== ''Foreword'' Robeson acknowledges his roots and dedicates himself to winning freedom for his people in America. He intends the book not to be an autobiography, but to give insight into his thinking. ''Prologue'' Robeson recalls his childhood and upbringing. ''I Take My Stand'' Robeson traces his development as actor/ singer from America to England which became his home from 1927 to 1939. There, he started to learn more about Africa, its cultures and languages. In 1934 he travelled to the Soviet Union and experienced absence of racism. He opines that communism would be helpful to overcome colonialism. Robeson affirms his belief in socialism, but also asserts that he never joined the communist party. At length Robeson discusses his remarks at the World Peace Conference at Paris in 1948 where he asked Blacks to realize that the fight for a ''free world'' begins at home and the reactions to his speech. He fully concurs with the Ten Principles of Bandung. ''Love Will Find Out the Way'' While in England Robeson connected to the common man. ”This belief in the oneness of humankind.. has existed within me side by side with the deep attachment to the cause of my own race”,〔Paul Robeson, ibid., page 48f〕 a concept first felt through song. With the rise of fascism in Europe in the thirties, he recognized that the struggle for black liberation was inseparable from the anti-fascist struggle. He further relates how he somehow managed to maintain some international bonds during the years he has been restricted and how the documentary ''The Song of the Rivers'' was created. ''Our Right to Travel'' Robeson’s passport was revoked in 1950 and he argues this was done because he is a spokesperson for Black people and their freedom. He contrasts his position – fighting for freedom - as being American, while the State Department and John Foster Dulles act un-American. The right to travel is an important part of full citizenship. He reminds the reader of Ira Aldridge who could only achieve artistic greatness by travelling abroad, and of W. E. B. Du Bois whose passport had been revoked although his presence at international congresses would have enhanced the standing of the United States. ''The Time Is Now'' Robeson, rejecting segregation and gradualism, demands full citizenship for Black people right there and then. He views the people of the newly freed nations in Africa and Asia as natural allies of the Black cause. Realizing that he cannot change individual prejudice, he demands that racist laws limiting Black equality have to go. ''The Power of Negro Action'' Robeson indicates that the moral support of the American people would be on the side of the Black people when they claim their “lawful rights with... earnestness, dignity, and determination...”〔Paul Robeson, ibid., page 92〕 The Black people have the power of numbers, of organization, and of spirit to be successful now. Important examples have been set: the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom in Washington DC on May 17, 1957, and events in Little Rock and Montgomery. Robeson calls for concerted action and effective leadership. ''Our Children, Our World'' In the epilogue Robeson is optimistic. Progress has been made, as seen in Little Rock. The appearance of Sputnik sends a message to work for peace. Racism is the enemy. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Here I Stand (book)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|