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
Like any other people, like fathers, mothers, sons and daughters in every land, when the issue of peace or war has been put squarely to the American people, they have registered for peace.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The American people's preference leans towards peace over war, as they share common desires for harmony like families worldwide.
In this quote, Paul Robeson emphasizes that, regardless of nationality, human beings fundamentally desire peace, much like families universally strive for well-being. He suggests that when faced with the critical choice between peace and war, the American populace has consistently shown a clear inclination towards peaceful resolutions, reflecting a shared human value that transcends borders and cultures.
Themes
PeaceWarUnityHumanityDesire
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about international relations, one could reference this quote to emphasize the need for diplomacy over conflict.
More from Paul Robeson
All quotes →We ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
Paul RobesonRead
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.
Paul RobesonRead
The intolerance of the few, or the risk of it, carries the day against the wider humanity of the many.
Paul RobesonRead
I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom
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.
Paul RobesonRead
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Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
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We're saying this to both countries: We want a two-state solution. We want a Jewish state of Israel and alongside an independent Palestinian state. Unilateral measures are not helping at all to bring about this cause, and we agree that we wish to cooperate very closely on this, because as we both say, time is of the essence.
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All my life I been waitin' for I been prayin' for, for the people to say that we don't want to fight no more. They'll be no more wars and our children will play, one day.
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Beyond drama and chaos, beyond anxiety and fear, lies a zone of endless peace and love. Let's all take a very deep breath, slow down for just a moment and remember this. That alone will open the door.
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