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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the deep historical connections and sacrifices of Robeson's ancestry, emphasizing themes of heritage and resilience.
In this quote, Paul Robeson reflects on his rich family history and the significance of their contributions to American history, particularly during the Revolutionary War, while also acknowledging the stark contrast of his father's status as a slave. It speaks to the legacy of struggle and strength passed down through generations, illustrating how personal and national histories intertwine.
Themes
HeritageResilienceHistoryStruggleAncestry
In practice
Example use cases
During a history presentation highlighting contributions of African Americans.
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.
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
Art is not just to show life as it is, but to show life as it should be.
Paul RobesonRead
Similar quotes
I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
John AdamsRead
If you seek Hamilton's monument, look around. You are living in it. We honor Jefferson, but live in Hamilton's country, a mighty industrial nation with a strong central government.
George WillRead
When I read that the British army had landed thirty-two thousand troops - and I had realized, not very long before, that Philadelphia only had thirty thousand people in it - it practically lifted me out of my chair.
David McculloughRead
It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced.
Tom BrokawRead
When I started giving talks about women's history, one of the things that bothered me was the tendency to say, 'Well, everybody was totally oppressed and suddenly in 1964 we rose up, got our freedom, and here we are.' It dismisses the women who fought for rights for several hundred years of our history up to that point.
Gail CollinsRead
You gotta understand - the state of Mississippi was in rebellion. It had rebelled against the United States. Now that has been a very difficult story for America to tell, but that's what actually happened.
James MeredithRead