We ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
Paul RobesonRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the universal connection among people through shared experiences of oppression and music.
Paul Robeson's quote highlights the notion that despite diverse backgrounds, people across the globe resonate with the themes of struggle and resilience found in Negro songs. It suggests that music can transcend cultural boundaries and foster a sense of shared humanity, bringing people together through their common experiences of oppression and hope.
Themes
MusicOppressionUnityHumanityBondSongs
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about cultural heritage, one might say, 'As Paul Robeson pointed out, music connects us all regardless of our background.'
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
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
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