I've learned that my people are not the only ones oppressed... I have sung my songs all over the world and everywhere found that some common bond makes the people of all lands take to Negro songs as their own.
Paul RobesonRead
And at home in the United States we found continued and increased persecution, first of leaders of the Communist Party, and then of all honest anti-fascists.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the struggles faced by anti-fascists and communists in the United States, emphasizing the ongoing persecution they endured.
Paul Robeson's quote speaks to the experience of individuals who stood against fascism and oppression, underscoring the persecution they faced at home. It reflects the broader struggle for justice and equality in the face of oppressive ideologies, revealing how political beliefs can lead to severe social and personal repercussions.
Themes
PersecutionAnti-FascismActivismJusticeOppression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech at a civil rights rally to highlight the importance of standing against oppression.
More from Paul Robeson
All quotes βWe ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
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My mother was born in your state, Mr. Walter, and my mother was a Quaker, and my ancestors in the time of Washington baked bread for George Washington's troops when they crossed the Delaware, and my own father was a slave.
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The intolerance of the few, or the risk of it, carries the day against the wider humanity of the many.
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I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom
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Art is not just to show life as it is, but to show life as it should be.
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