for his people.
, More than 2,300 Africans and Indians have been jailed in
South Africa since June 26 for such "crimes" as walking
through public entrances marked" Whites Only" or for sitting
on a railroad station bench reserved for "Europeans." And
now we read that four African women are to be flogged.
But 'despite the jails and the whips, my friend on the corner J
is right. They are going to win because they mean to win.
'�e mean to win too, but we ought to take a lesson from
our South African brothers and sisters. The lesson is
UN . It was harder for them in many ways but now they've
gotten together-the leaders and the people, the Blacks and the
Indians and the" coloreds" and the Trades and Labour Council,
and they say: "This is it! Freedom for us now!"
Somehow we've got to get united like that and it had better
be soon. Not after the elections, but today. And why not? We're
united now in our insistence on civil rights, but when we unite
all ourstrength-s-churches, NAACP, trade unionists, lodges,
women's clubs, business and professional groups-and move
together, well, we'll get our civil rights in 1952.
And there's something else we talked about on the corner
along with all the rest about whips and jails. There are the
invisible chains too-like denying me a passport because, as
the government noted in one brief, Robeson "has been active
politically in behalf of the independence of the colonial peoples
of Africa. "
I have for a fact, and I'm still fighting for my passport which
they are still keeping from me ... but the African freedom fight
just keeps rolling along. And how it mu t have paine certain
people down in Washington to read in the N.Y. Times that
p rading Black and Brown men in Johannesburg were singing
"Robe on ongs"!
Songs 0 liberation -who can jail it?
The spirit of freedon,-who can jail ,it?
A people' unity-what lash can beat it down?
Oivll right - hat doubletalk can satisfy our need? 0 my
brother and si ter of the two USAs-we re going to be reel
-. With New York City Councilman Benjamin J. Davi , Jr. at Union Square May Day cereJ!lonle ,New York, May 1, 1947.
A Lesson rom Our outh
African Brothers and Sisters
By PAUL ROBESON
"Here's My Story" Freedom, September 1952
the betting was all one way that day, so you know it wasn't
about the Dodgers and the Giants.
bet they're going to win this time," said one.
"Can't see how they can lose the way they're going," said
another. '
"They mean to win, you can see that, " said still another man.
"That's right," I agreed. "All the colored people have gotten
together this time. The leaders too. They say Jim Crow has got
to go and no two ways about it. Yes sir, it looks like this is the
last go round for white supremacy, and furthermore-It
"Hold -on a minute, Paul;" said a man moving closer to our
treet corner discussion. "I don't dig all this-are you fellows
, talking about my folks?" ,
One of the men took an exaggerated look at the newcomer.
"No doubt about it, chum," he answered finally. "Your folks. It
"We're talking about South Africa." I explained after the
laughing. "But that's USA too -Union of South Africa-and
It's really the same thing as here, only more so."
ere we are pushing for civil rights now, for performan­
ces not promises, and over there-well, they're really
ro ng. And It's so much the same that we ought to compare
notes on these two great movements against white supremacy in
the two USA's.
'Take some of the laws that they're fighting against over
there: the Removal of Colored Voters Act, the Group Areas
Act, the Mixed Marriages Act, the Suppression or Com­
munismn Act, the Flogging Law ... Sounds mighty like "down
bome" doesn't it?-and up North too for that matter.
And whatabout that item in the paper the other day that told
of bow Dr. A.J.S. Moroka, president of the African National
Congress, was arrested on charges of breaking the anti-Com­
munist law because he is one of the militant leaders in the fight
alnst segregation? Makes you think of our own brave Ben
Davl ,jailed for over a year now under the Smith Act because
be led the fight against Jim Crow hou ing and for equal r ght
r
,