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
We ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the justness of demanding what one is entitled to. It highlights the moral strength behind such demands.
Paul Robeson’s quote speaks to the principle of rightful entitlement, suggesting that when individuals demand what is inherently theirs, their claims carry immense moral weight. This idea underscores that demands rooted in justice and fairness are powerful because they are based on legitimate rights, making it not just an assertion but a moral imperative.
Themes
JusticeRightsMoral PowerDemandEntitlement
In practice
Example use cases
During a rally advocating for civil rights, this quote can affirm the legitimacy of the movement’s demands.
More from Paul Robeson
All quotes →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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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.
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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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