美国名人歌手演员保罗·罗伯逊2.docx

美国名人歌手演员保罗罗伯逊2PaulRobeson,1898-1976:HeTraveledtheWorldSingingSongstoSupportPeaceandEqualRightsforBlackAmericansplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:05repeatByShelleyGollust2008-11-1ANNOUNCER:Now,theVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PEOPLEINAMERICA.Today,ShirleyGriffithandSteveEmberfinishthestoryofthelifeofPaulRobeson.Hewasasingerandinternationalpoliticalactivist.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:PaulRobesonBythelatenineteentwenties,PaulRobesonhadbecomethemosthighlypraisedblackactorandsingerofthetime.Duringthenineteenthirties,hebecameinvolvedinnationalandinternationalmovementsforpeace,equalrightsforblackAmericans,andbetterlaborconditions.Hetraveledaroundtheworldsinginghissongstosupportthesestruggles.However,hisfriendshipwiththeSovietUnionbroughtstrongoppositionfromconservativegroupsintheUnitedStates.ManypeopleintheUnitedStatesopposedRobeson'spoliticalbeliefsastooliberalorextreme.Asearlyasnineteenforty-one,Americangovernmentagencies,ledbytheFederalBureauofInvestigation,reportedlyhadtargetedhimasdangerous.TheyconsideredhispoliticalactivismtobeagainstthebestinterestsoftheAmericangovernment.VOICETWO:DuringWorldWarTwo,theUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionwerealliesfightingagainstNaziGermany.RobesonrecordedseveralRussiansongstohonortheSovietpeople'sdefenseoftheirlandagainsttheNaziinvasion.TheserecordingswerebroadcastintheSovietUnion.ManySovietsoldiersweresaidtohaveheardPaulRobeson'svoicebeforegoingintobattle.Thisisoneofthosesongs.Itiscalled"NativeLand."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:AfterWorldWarTwo,relationsbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionbecametense.Inthelatenineteenforties,Americansfearedcommunismasathreattotheirwayoflife.ThepeopleintheSovietUnionweredeniedthefreedomsthatAmericansenjoyed.TheUnitedStatesjoinedwithothernationstotrytohaltthespreadofcommunismaroundtheworld.Inaddition,thecrimesofSovietdictatorJosefStalinbecamepublic.TheseincludedthekillingofmillionsofpeopleintheSovietUnionwhoopposedhispolicies.Asaresult,manyformerAmericansupportersofcommunismstoppedsupportingtheSovietUnion.VOICETWO:Robesonzhowever;continuedtosupporttheSovietUnion.Hestillbelievedintheideaofcommunism.AndhebelievedinfriendshipbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion.AcongressionalcommitteebeganinvestigatingAmericanswhosupportedcommunismorwhowerefriendsofpeoplewhosupportedit.ThecommitteequestionedRobeson.Herefusedtosayifhewasacommunist.Robesonsawthequestioningasanattackonthedemocraticrightsofeveryonewhoworkedforinternationalfriendshipandforequality.VOICEONE:RobesonalsowascondemnedintheUnitedStatesbecauseofhiscriticismoftheUnitedStatesgovernment.HespokeattheWorldPeaceConferenceinParisinApril,nineteenforty-nine.HewasreportedtohavesaidhedidnotbelieveblackAmericanswouldfightfortheAmericangovernmentthatoppressedthemagainsttheSovietUnion.ThisstatementbroughtastrongreactionagainsthimfromsomepeopleintheAmericanpress,governmentandpublic.ItledtoriotingataconcertinNewYorkStatewhereRobesonwastoappear.Hundredsofpeoplewereinjuredwhencrowdsthrewstonesatpeopleattendingtheconcert.VOICETWO:Innineteenfifty,theAmericanStateDepartmentwithdrewRobeson'straveldocumentbecauseofthepoliticalideasheexpressed.ThispreventedhimfromleavingtheUnitedStatestoperforminothercountries.TheStateDepartmentsaidhistraveltoothercountrieswouldnotbeinthebestinterestoftheUnitedStates.RobesonalsowasbarredfromperforminginmanyplacesintheUnitedStates.Hisconcertswerecanceled.Hisrecordswerewithdrawnfromstores.Recordcompaniesrefusedtoproducenewrecordingsofhissongs.Robesonsaidtheactionsagainsthimwereattemptstosilenceartisticexpression.Hesaidtheywereattemptstocontrolwhompeoplecouldhearandwhattheycouldhear.VOICEONE:Innineteenfifty-two,theMine,MillandSmeltersWorkersUnionofBritishColumbia,Canada,invitedRobesontoattenditsyearlymeeting.AmericansdonotneedapassporttoenterCanada.ButtheUnitedStatesgovernmentbarredhimfromenteringCanadaanyway.SotheunioninvitedhimtosingatanoutdoorconcertintheUnitedStates.TheconcertwasheldatPeaceArchPark.TheparkisinthenorthwesternstateofWashington,ontheborderbetweentheUnitedStatesandCanada.Robesonsangtomorethanthirtythousandpeopleinbothcountries.Hereisarecordingfromthatconcert.Robesonsangafamouslaborunionsongcalled"JoeHill."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:RobesonperformedatanotheroutdoorconcertatPeaceArchParkthefollowingyear.Attheendoftheprogram,Robesonspoketothethousandsofpeopleattending.Hepromisedtocontinuethefightforfreedomaslongashecould.Hereispartofthatspeech.(SOUND)VOICEONE:Nineteenfifty-eightwasanimportantyearforPaulRobeson.HisregainedhispassportthatyearafteraSupremeCourtrulingonasimilarcase.TheSupremeCourtruledthattheStateDepartmentcouldnotwithholdpassportsofAmericancitizensbecauseoftheirsuspectedbeliefsorthegroupstheyjoined.Abookhewroteabouthislife,"HereIStand,"alsowaspublished.And,thatsameyear;heperformedinaconcertatthefamousCarnegieHallinNewYork.Itwashisfirstappearancethereinelevenyears.Everyseatinthehallwasfilled.PaulRobesonsanganAfricanAmericanspiritualcalled"Didn'tMyLordDeliver."Hereisarecordingfromthatconcert.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:PaulRobesonandhiswifeEssiemovedtoLondonwherehecontinuedtosingandact.TheyalsovisitedtheSovietUnionoften.Innineteensixty-three,theyreturnedtotheUnitedStates.PaulRobesonwassufferingfromphysicalandmentalproblems.Heretiredfrompubliclifebecauseofhisbadhealth.PaulRobesondiedinnineteenseventy-six,inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.Innineteenforty-nine,PaulRobesonhadwrittenthesewords:"Ishalltakemyvoicewherevertherearethosewhowanttohearthemelodyoffreedomorthewordsthatmightinspirehope.inthefaceof.fear.Myweaponsarepeaceful,foritisonlybypeacethatpeacecanbeattained.Thesongoffreedommustprevail."(MUSIC)ANNOUNCER:YouhavebeenlisteningtothestoryofthelifeofsingerandpoliticalactivistPaulRobeson.ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollustandproducedbyLawanDavis.YournarratorswereShirleyGriffithandSteveEmber.mBobDoughty.ListenagainnextweekforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.