Paul Robeson research paper for African American Studies course: AASP 201 at UMUC
Alozo.1
alonzo_simmons_ab.docxAlonzo Simmons –Annotated Bibliography
Subject: Paul Robeson
Works Cited
1)
Andrews, Penelope. "A Champion For African Freedom: Paul Robeson And The Struggle Against Apartheid." Albany Law Review 77.2 (2014): 473-498. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 July 2014.
a) Secondary source.
b) Since this article references a speech by Robeson at his alma mater, Columbia University School of Law, I would describe the audience for this item as the academic community.
c) For my generation and those a bit younger than me, Americans (especially African Americans) opposition to Apartheid was primarily a 1980s issue. This was the time period in which there was extreme pressure on corporations and other for-profit organizations to divest in order to put economic pressure on South Africa and its oppressive practices against Black Africans. Because of all the activities in the 1980s, many are unaware of Paul Robeson’s active participation in the fight against Apartheid during his lifetime.
d) “in this article I explore Paul Robeson‘s connections and commitment to the African anti-colonial struggle, and in particular the struggle against apartheid in South Africa”.
2)
Tony, Perucci. Paul Robeson And The Cold War Performance Complex : Race, Madness, Activism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2012. Project MUSE. Web. 5 July 2014.
a) Secondary Source
b) General audience
c) This would be about lesser known performances that still helped further the political, economic, civil, and humanitarian messages that Robeson believed in. It was through his art that his activist voice could be heard.
d) “Actor and singer Paul Robeson's performances in Othello, Show Boat, and The Emperor Jones made him famous, but his midcentury appearances in support of causes ranging from labor and civil rights to anti-lynching and American warmongering made him notorious”.
3)
Wallace, Len. "Paul Robeson Jr., The Undiscovered Paul Robeson, Quest For Freedom, 1939-1976." Labour/Le Travail 66 (2010): 268. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 3 July 2014.
a) Secondary Source
b) General audience
c) The Undiscovered Paul Robeson should give a unique perspective on the private Paul Robeson. This information is provided by his son. His son’s perspective should offer an alternative to the more well-known and public persona of the Great Paul Robeson, Sr.
d) “Robeson Jr. also reports on his father’s years of sickness and depression that undermined his ability to carry on activity”.
4)
Zien, Katherine. "Race And Politics In Concert: Paul Robeson And William Warfield In Panama, 1947–1953." The Global South 2 (2013): 107. Project MUSE. Web. 5 July 2014.
a) Secondary Source
b) General audience
c) An example of the comparison and contrast of a series of concerts performed on behalf of a local West Indian Panamanian labor union by Robeson and William Warfield. This is representative of how artists can use their art form as part of a political statement.
d) “In 1947, African American baritone Paul Robeson traveled to Panama to give several concerts on behalf of a local West Indian Panamanian labor union. Six years later, African American baritone William Warfield gave a series of concerts in Panama to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the nation’s independence from Colombia. This article compares the production histories of the two tours, noting similarities and divergences, to illuminate their respective engagements with questions of labor rights, racial identity, and cultural diplomacy during the transnational Cold War”.
5)
Congress, House, Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of the Unauthorized Use of U.S. Passports, 84th Congress, Part 3, June 12, 1956; in Thirty Years of Treason: Excerpts from Hearings Before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, 1938–1968, Eric Bentley, ed. (New York: Viking Press, 1971), 770.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6440
a) Primary source …direct testimony.
b) Audience for this item is the Congressional House Committee on Un-American Activities.
c) This item contains information and direct testimony regarding the attempt to question Paul Robeson and his political views as they related to whether he was a communist or not. This was typical of the HUAC committee who were always trying to discredit those individuals or groups who legitimately opposed the treatment of African Americans and any other Americans that stood up against unfair treatment of citizens of the U.S. based on race, class, political views, etc.
d) “In the following testimony to a HUAC hearing, ostensibly convened to gain information regarding his passport suit, Robeson refused to answer questions concerning his political activities and lectured bigoted Committee members Gordon H. Scherer and Chairman Francis E.Walter about African-American history and civil rights”.
