I was a child when Paul Robeson gave this testimony. I had tears in my eyes by the time I was half-way through listening to this. Tears in deepest respect to Mr. Robeson's courage, intellect and moral grounding in the face of these howling fascist jackals.
I really wanted to say something about this audio, his courage and intellect on full display. But then I saw what you wrote. It too brought tears to my eyes. I could not have said it any better. Thank you sir.
I also was a child (11) when the HUAC hearings were held in Buffalo. I learned many years later that my father's name came up in those hearings, not as a target of the hearings and not as a Communist, only in mentioning as a name as a receiver and deliverer of funds in the 1930s. In the end I know very little of my father's life as a young man
@@BLANCHARDMUSICGROUP Yes he was, along with many at that time, when Russia was spreading World wide communism, White America was alarmed that well known figures in the entertainment world, were supporting and spreading this belief. With the following of the black Americans he in their eyes , posed a major threat. He was know , or thought to have, posed under non de plumes, writing in left wing publications, he was a educated man, a fantastic singer and a supporter of communism, which in his eyes would be good for the supressed black people.
Very insightful for its time, the council all sound white and cliche for its time, Paul is aware of history and is timeless... We are in need of his ilk today. Thank you Mr Robeson
First time I have ever heard this - I found it after having read a review of a book about Robeson. Reenactment or otherwise I am just blown away by the strength of this mans testimony and am bowled over with admiration.
"Why do you not stay in Russia?" "Because my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you. And no Fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear?" If they had any sense of ridicule and decency they would've stop the questioning and went home. Pretending to have any kind of moral standing against Paul Robeson at this point was even hilarious.
THE GREAT PAUL ROBESON!!!!!! YOU ARE SURELY MISSED BROTHER!!!!!!! I HOPE THERE IS ANOTHER ONE LIKE YOU!!!!! ITS FUNNY THAT HE SOUNDS LIKE JAMES EARL JONES!!!!!!
I had the great honor of serving as legal counsel to author Martin Duberman who wrote the authorized biography of Paul Robeson. We sued the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act to gain files that the FBI had kept on Robeson for years before anyone knew that the FBI was gathering such files. They filled a room of filing cabinets.
@@howardlenow yes he is, i wont arguit with you, bc europeans are always late in recognizing great africans. Dr king were considered terrorist before they were celebrated by european american.
Sankara Garvey I represented the Robeson family around his autobiography and have read most of what is available on his life. He was fighting for civil rights and workers rights before most people even considered these issues. He was a gifted actor, singer and one of the towering intellects of his time. He was also courageous and fought for civil rights not only in the US, but around the Globe. He was also a universalist, meaning that he believed in the human dignity of all people and had no patience for racism, white or black. To even mention his name in the same sentence as Farrakhan shows that you have no idea who Farrakhan was or what he stood for.
What I learn from this experience is awakening all Africans have to know I can listen this every day of life so inspire me 50 and over is like starting all over
IIn the hearing, Robeson and the interrogator have tensions right off the bat, with the interrogator being white and Robeson being black. These tensions are intensified when at the 3:20 mark, the interrogator and Robseon have a dispute over race, with the interrogator going so far as to say "we are trying to make it easier to get rid of your kind", a statement that was anything but unexpected in this erra of Jim Crow segregation and racism. Robeson would go on to state to the hearing that "In Russia i felt for the first time like a full human being. No colour prejudice like in Mississippi, no colour prejudice like in Washington. It was the first time i felt like a human being. Where i did not feel the pressure of colour as I feel it in this Committee today". This quote goes to show the twisted logic of American anticommunism, as they opposed a government with more values for their people (on book) than that of the United States of America, which is supposedly a land for the free. By this point, the tension between both sides had risen to such a point that the interrogator was in a shouting fit, whereas Robeson himself remained calm and composed, suggesting who was actually in control of the hearing.
You may be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. The same recording appears in the UCLA Library collection of HUAC testimonies, without any indication that it is a re-enactment.
Yeah it’s not entirely clear however there’s another video on CZcams stating this testimony as a re-enactment. And If you hear Paul Robeson Speak and this testimony you can clearly hear a difference between the two as Roberson’s voice isn’t as bass deep (even though it is very deep) as James Earl Jones’. Though the White folk interrogating him might be the original recording judging by the quality and speech.
I would want to clarify that this sound track is NOT from the actual HUAC witch hunt, neo-nazi McCarthyist persecution hearing of Paul Robeson, but is instead taken from a TV movie "Paul Robeson", released in 1979 - and the part of Robeson is played by none other than the great James Earl Jones.
The audio is apparently NOT an actual recording of the hearing but rather a reenactment featuring the noted actor James Earl Jones in role of Robeson; see the discussion that accompanies another posting of this audio at czcams.com/video/F9Qxr1wdxbg/video.html/.
mahir ali I have the play and this doesn't follow the play. Its different. Similar, but not word for word or phrase for phrase. making me believe it is Robeson.
@@actingproductions The voice audio doesn't match this recording of Robeson from the national archives. recordsofrights.org/records/386/robeson-testifies-audio
You may be right. However, this is the source: "Featuring a collection of Robeson’s interviews and speeches, Words Like Freedom includes a little more than eleven minutes of riveting testimony by Robeson to the HUAC, June 12, 1956."
@@toucansfootballclub And maybe all the things these trusty US senators and their friends in the C|A and the FB| (Co1ntelpr0) would have you believe regarding Stalin might not be all true?? You would *still* uncritically accept _some_ US propaganda without question?! Try looking and checking sources. Maybe read some Michael Parenti (or watch some of his talks here on YT) or check out Grover Furr. You *must* know now that there were an unimaginable number of lies, distortions, and myths after 100 years of blatant baldfaced propaganda!? I mean you *are* familiar with the Palmer Raids, the Smith Act, Taft Hartley, McCarthyism, the C|A's own 'Congress for Cultural Freedom,' etc, etc??
This is a reproduction…kind of like a bunch of actors (Cranston, Keaton, Kind) acting/voicing Richard Sackler’s (opioid family empire) depositions, testimonies, and emails.
@@ripnecco5477 James Earl Jones was also excellent as 'Few Clothes' in _'Matewan'_ (1987) --The story of the Matewan Massacre that led to the 'Battle of Blair Mountain.'
Hi Patricia! No, I don't have a license for it. I came across it on a CD titled "Paul Robeson: Words Like Freedom" (2008), issued by Freedom Archives. You can reach them via www.freedomarchives.org. Hope this helps.
@@mahir.ali59 it's not exactly accurate - the actual transcript of Robeson's testimony differs a bit from this. Not hugely, but enough that this is more adaptation than recreation.
Can someone please provide evidence that this voice is James earl jones and not the ineffable robeson himself? In any case robeson was too great too true too right for words.
@@mahir.ali59 It is 100% actors using the script of the testimony. Sorry, but there is no question about this. James Earl Jones sounds impressive here, but this is not the actual voice of Robeson. There is, if you think about it, also a lack of the other things that happened throughout the hearing, such as frequent applause etc. There is no real issue with this dramatic enactment. I'm not aware that a full audio recording of the session exists, and the actors here do a fine job.
@@andrewwigglesworth3030 You may be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. The same recording appears in the UCLA Library collection of HUAC testimonies, without any indication that it is a re-enactment.
@@mahir.ali59 There are audio clips recorded at the hearing, and those feature the not ideal acoustics of the room, the general surrounding noises, artefacts from the use of the microphones and, as I mentioned, the frequent rounds of applause. Paul's voice is also different, and with the natural pauses and breaks that occur in unrehearsed speech. If someone has mislabelled a recording at UCLA, then that's their responsibility, but there really is no question about it.
Check out this recording taken at the HUAC hearing with Robeson. It's clear which is which. recordsofrights.org/records/386/robeson-testifies-audio In this, Robeson also actually sounds like Robeson.
I was a child when Paul Robeson gave this testimony. I had tears in my eyes by the time I was half-way through listening to this. Tears in deepest respect to Mr. Robeson's courage, intellect and moral grounding in the face of these howling fascist jackals.
I really wanted to say something about this audio, his courage and intellect on full display. But then I saw what you wrote. It too brought tears to my eyes.
I could not have said it any better. Thank you sir.
I also was a child (11) when the HUAC hearings were held in Buffalo. I learned many years later that my father's name came up in those hearings, not as a target of the hearings and not as a Communist, only in mentioning as a name as a receiver and deliverer of funds in the 1930s. In the end I know very little of my father's life as a young man
Today I have discovered Paul Robeson
This warrior was absolutely backed by the universe at this particular time..I salute this great Ancestor ✊🏿👑
He was so AWESOME!
True , but still a communist.
Captain Morgan Who cares??? It shouldn’t have been a big deal but the media and Fascist politicians used the “Red Scare” to ruin people’s lives.
@@CaptainMorganxxx no he wasn't....even his son has said numerous times that he wasn't.......not that it matters
@@BLANCHARDMUSICGROUP Yes he was, along with many at that time, when Russia was spreading World wide communism, White America was alarmed that well known figures in the entertainment world, were supporting and spreading this belief. With the following of the black Americans he in their eyes , posed a major threat. He was know , or thought to have, posed under non de plumes, writing in left wing publications, he was a educated man, a fantastic singer and a supporter of communism, which in his eyes would be good for the supressed black people.
The fascists are asking him if he a communist.
I wish we had someone like Paul Robeson today Speaking out against Bidens war in Ukraine
Still relevant in this day and time
They were hopelessly overpowered intellectually by Paul Robeson.
Hell yeah!
Very insightful for its time, the council all sound white and cliche for its time, Paul is aware of history and is timeless... We are in need of his ilk today. Thank you Mr Robeson
actually things have never been worse between the races in the united states as today.
@@allend2749 lol worse than slavery?
First time I have ever heard this - I found it after having read a review of a book about Robeson. Reenactment or otherwise I am just blown away by the strength of this mans testimony and am bowled over with admiration.
paul robenson was pro-stalin
@@toucansfootballclub You couldn't even spell his name. So much for your history lesson.
"Why do you not stay in Russia?"
"Because my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you. And no Fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear?"
If they had any sense of ridicule and decency they would've stop the questioning and went home. Pretending to have any kind of moral standing against Paul Robeson at this point was even hilarious.
i hated my neighborhood so i moved. if he hates this country then he should have moved to russia. what's the problemo
@@allend2749 Your mother was told to swallow you but she was hard headed.
@@allend2749 You could've just said "DUH", the result being the same
He will be remembered for generations and centuries to come think you Paul Robeson ❤️
Super comfortable, confident and assertive ❤️
Much Gratitude.
THE GREAT PAUL ROBESON!!!!!! YOU ARE SURELY MISSED BROTHER!!!!!!! I HOPE THERE IS ANOTHER ONE LIKE YOU!!!!! ITS FUNNY THAT HE SOUNDS LIKE JAMES EARL JONES!!!!!!
It is James Earl Jones.
I had the great honor of serving as legal counsel to author Martin Duberman who wrote the authorized biography of Paul Robeson. We sued the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act to gain files that the FBI had kept on Robeson for years before anyone knew that the FBI was gathering such files. They filled a room of filing cabinets.
That's a superb biography!
Louis farakhan is paul robeson today
Sankara Garvey no. Not even in the slightest way. You need to read a little about Robeson before making such an outrageous comparison
@@howardlenow yes he is, i wont arguit with you, bc europeans are always late in recognizing great africans. Dr king were considered terrorist before they were celebrated by european american.
Sankara Garvey I represented the Robeson family around his autobiography and have read most of what is available on his life. He was fighting for civil rights and workers rights before most people even considered these issues. He was a gifted actor, singer and one of the towering intellects of his time. He was also courageous and fought for civil rights not only in the US, but around the Globe. He was also a universalist, meaning that he believed in the human dignity of all people and had no patience for racism, white or black. To even mention his name in the same sentence as Farrakhan shows that you have no idea who Farrakhan was or what he stood for.
Absolutely amazing!
What a hero...
I never heard of this man before today. Impressive! Love the way he righteously stands his ground against the fascist committee!
He's well worth reading up on!
What I learn from this experience is awakening all Africans have to know I can listen this every day of life so inspire me 50 and over is like starting all over
Yes. But not only Africans. I'm only a white European but I know courage and intelligence when I hear it.
I invoke the fifth amendment, *LOUDLY*
An amazing display of courage and truth.
WHAT A MAN
Honestly they could say this was in modern US and I’d believe it. Time didn’t change the US.
A true hero
Now that's badass.
what a legend
I salute you Sir!!! IT SHOULD BE!!!
This is James Earl jones.....I want to hear Paul Robeson's voice. Where can I find the original audio?
Yes it is jones why did they replaced Paul's voice which was just as deep.
IIn the hearing, Robeson and the interrogator have tensions right off the bat, with the interrogator being white and Robeson being black. These tensions are intensified when at the 3:20 mark, the interrogator and Robseon have a dispute over race, with the interrogator going so far as to say "we are trying to make it easier to get rid of your kind", a statement that was anything but unexpected in this erra of Jim Crow segregation and racism. Robeson would go on to state to the hearing that "In Russia i felt for the first time like a full human being. No colour prejudice like in Mississippi, no colour prejudice like in Washington. It was the first time i felt like a human being. Where i did not feel the pressure of colour as I feel it in this Committee today". This quote goes to show the twisted logic of American anticommunism, as they opposed a government with more values for their people (on book) than that of the United States of America, which is supposedly a land for the free. By this point, the tension between both sides had risen to such a point that the interrogator was in a shouting fit, whereas Robeson himself remained calm and composed, suggesting who was actually in control of the hearing.
pretty sure this is a reenactment but it’s impressive
I totally agree with our Paul; they were so aggressive to him.
The Red Scare and the Hollywood Blacklist was no different than Fascism in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America 🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤬🤬🤬🤬
This is James Earl Jones playing Robeson.
By the way this is a recreation, with James Earl Jones speaking as Paul Robeson.
You may be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. The same recording appears in the UCLA Library collection of HUAC testimonies, without any indication that it is a re-enactment.
Yeah it’s not entirely clear however there’s another video on CZcams stating this testimony as a re-enactment. And If you hear Paul Robeson Speak and this testimony you can clearly hear a difference between the two as Roberson’s voice isn’t as bass deep (even though it is very deep) as James Earl Jones’. Though the White folk interrogating him might be the original recording judging by the quality and speech.
I would want to clarify that this sound track is NOT from the actual HUAC witch hunt, neo-nazi McCarthyist persecution hearing of Paul Robeson, but is instead taken from a TV movie "Paul Robeson", released in 1979 - and the part of Robeson is played by none other than the great James Earl Jones.
An example for all Americans in the face of those that would don the mask of patriot while undermining the virtues of mankind.
What he said!
Where did you find this amazing picture of the trial?
Can't remember, I'm afraid - probably somewhere on the internet.
What a brilliant man
We never know this
The audio is apparently NOT an actual recording of the hearing but rather a reenactment featuring the noted actor James Earl Jones in role of Robeson; see the discussion that accompanies another posting of this audio at czcams.com/video/F9Qxr1wdxbg/video.html/.
You may be right, although the Freedom Archives disc I got it off certainly suggests it's the actual hearing rather than a re-enactment.
mahir ali I have the play and this doesn't follow the play. Its different. Similar, but not word for word or phrase for phrase. making me believe it is Robeson.
@@actingproductions The voice audio doesn't match this recording of Robeson from the national archives. recordsofrights.org/records/386/robeson-testifies-audio
@@grr8008 that's 1948 not 1956 so its a different speech. Am trying to find the original too.
This is not pau Robeson - it is the actor James Earl Jones
This is James Earl Jones in a reproduction.
You may be right. However, this is the source: "Featuring a collection of Robeson’s interviews and speeches, Words Like Freedom includes a little more than eleven minutes of riveting testimony by Robeson to the HUAC, June 12, 1956."
Robeson's voice sounded very much like JEJ. Deep bass baritone.
No but this actually James earl Jones speaking, they didn't record or didn't release the original
This is absolutely James Earl Jones. Whose father was also blacklisted by HUAC
raunch handdraunch hand
A strong black man indeed. Robeson was in great form here.
paul robenson was pro-stalin
agua4health What I said stands. He wasn’t perfect, but still a great man.
@@toucansfootballclub And maybe all the things these trusty US senators and their friends in the C|A and the FB| (Co1ntelpr0) would have you believe regarding Stalin might not be all true?? You would *still* uncritically accept _some_ US propaganda without question?! Try looking and checking sources. Maybe read some Michael Parenti (or watch some of his talks here on YT) or check out Grover Furr. You *must* know now that there were an unimaginable number of lies, distortions, and myths after 100 years of blatant baldfaced propaganda!? I mean you *are* familiar with the Palmer Raids, the Smith Act, Taft Hartley, McCarthyism, the C|A's own 'Congress for Cultural Freedom,' etc, etc??
agua4health Stalin was friends with a lot of Black intellectuals and freedom fighters.
agua4health Black People actually were very prosperous in the Soviet Union.
This is a reproduction…kind of like a bunch of actors (Cranston, Keaton, Kind) acting/voicing Richard Sackler’s (opioid family empire) depositions, testimonies, and emails.
sounds like darth vader
Gold Resh it’s a reenactment and that indeed is james earl jones who voices vader
@@ripnecco5477 James Earl Jones was also excellent as 'Few Clothes' in _'Matewan'_ (1987) --The story of the Matewan Massacre that led to the 'Battle of Blair Mountain.'
what's the name of the song that starts at the very end?
+Jazzygit Sorry, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure it's not a Robeson song, though.
Hi Mahir! do you have a license to this audio? do you know how i could possibly obtain one?
Hi Patricia! No, I don't have a license for it. I came across it on a CD titled "Paul Robeson: Words Like Freedom" (2008), issued by Freedom Archives. You can reach them via www.freedomarchives.org. Hope this helps.
@@mahir.ali59 Thanks!! This is awesome
This is actually a reading done by James Earl Jones. This is not Robeson's voice.
I've been told that before. Found it on a disc attributed to Robeson. Doesn't matter all that much, though, as long as the words are accurate.
@@mahir.ali59 it's not exactly accurate - the actual transcript of Robeson's testimony differs a bit from this. Not hugely, but enough that this is more adaptation than recreation.
i thought this was a play. these ppl actually acted like this. lol. Paul Robeson outclass them
Will you talk a little louder?
I invoke the 5th amendment loudly lol 😂
A true American hero - treated like a criminal because he spoke truth to power.
is this james earl jones reciting?
I posted it under the impression that it was Paul Robeson himself, but several commenters say its James Earl Jones - and they may well be right.
Unapologetic and Strong
Can someone please provide evidence that this voice is James earl jones and not the ineffable robeson himself? In any case robeson was too great too true too right for words.
is this actually a recording of Paul's testimony? or is this actors?
As far as I know it's Paul.
@@mahir.ali59 It is 100% actors using the script of the testimony. Sorry, but there is no question about this. James Earl Jones sounds impressive here, but this is not the actual voice of Robeson. There is, if you think about it, also a lack of the other things that happened throughout the hearing, such as frequent applause etc.
There is no real issue with this dramatic enactment. I'm not aware that a full audio recording of the session exists, and the actors here do a fine job.
@@andrewwigglesworth3030 You may be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. The same recording appears in the UCLA Library collection of HUAC testimonies, without any indication that it is a re-enactment.
@@mahir.ali59 There are audio clips recorded at the hearing, and those feature the not ideal acoustics of the room, the general surrounding noises, artefacts from the use of the microphones and, as I mentioned, the frequent rounds of applause. Paul's voice is also different, and with the natural pauses and breaks that occur in unrehearsed speech.
If someone has mislabelled a recording at UCLA, then that's their responsibility, but there really is no question about it.
Check out this recording taken at the HUAC hearing with Robeson. It's clear which is which.
recordsofrights.org/records/386/robeson-testifies-audio
In this, Robeson also actually sounds like Robeson.
Is this Simba's father?
Why were they so rude to Darth Vader?
Paul Robeson knew about the atrocities and gulags in the Soviet Union but he kept his mouth shut. Robeson is not sometype of hero.
hows that communism working out for you
Paul Robeson: I Invoke the 5th Amendment LOUDLY 🤣 What a MAN!!! Capital M!!! Sir!!!
*""AND NAT TURNER COULD BE SITTING THERE""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
*""YURI ALEKSEYEVICH GAGARIN WAS-INFACT A GREAT SOVIET-PILOT AND TREMENDOUSLY GREAT SOVIET-COMONAUT""!!!!!!!!!!!!!*