…
Kate Smith called for racial tolerance in this forgotten 1945 radio address.
Race hatreds — social prejudices — religious bigotry — they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace. Unless they are exterminated it’s inevitable that we will have another war. And where are they going to be exterminated? At a conference table in Geneva? Not by a long shot. In your own city — your church — your children’s school — perhaps in your own home.
Among the historically ignorant who may benefit from this piece would of course be Flyers management.
I'd still like to now more about what Paul Robeson, who also sang the song, thought of it.
My recollection from reading one of the major biographies of Robeson around ten years ago was that he saw himself as "reclaiming" the song. I know that he deliberately chose not to sing it in dialect, to restore some dignity to it, but it's possible he tweaked the lyrics too. He did both of those things to "Ol' Man River," and in hindsight I think his changes got the song a bit closer to feeling timeless.
ReplyDelete