Paul Robeson and the Peekskill Riots
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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The New York Times Report on the Violence
Violence spread out into the community, targeting black and Jewish people who were still in the area. News coverage generally condemned the violence while often subtly or sometimes directly blaming Robeson for it. The ACLU also noted that state troopers on hand had tried to break up fights or protect people when they witnessed violence.
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The Peekskill Riots surrounded a concert by singer and activist Paul Robeson. His stances on political and civil rights issues and his communist affiliations catalyzed protests that were fueled with an undercurrent of racism and antisemitism.
Research:
- American Civil Liberties Union. “Violence in Peekskill: A Report on the Violations of Civil Liberties at Two Paul Robeson Concerts near Peekskill, NY.” 1949.
- By LANSING WARREN Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. "Paris 'Peace Congress' Assails U. S. and Atlantic Pact, Upholds Soviet: MEETING AT 'PEACE CONGRESS' IN PARIS CONGRESS IN PARIS ASSAILS U. S. POLICY." New York Times (1923-), Apr 21 1949, p. 1. ProQuest. Web. 31 Aug. 2022 .
- 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.
- Courtney, Steve. “Peekskill's days of infamy: The Robeson riots of 1949.” The Reporter Dispatch, September 5, 1982. http://www.bencourtney.com/peekskillriots/
- Democracy “VIDEO: Pete Seeger Recalls the 1949 Peekskill Riot Where He And Paul Robeson Were Attacked.” 1/31/2014. https://www.democracynow.org/2014/1/31/video_pete_seeger_recalls_the_1949
- Dorinson, Joseph. “Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson: Athletes and Activists at Armageddon.” Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies , Winter 1999, Vol. 66, No. 1, Paul Robeson. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27774174
- Horne, Field. "Peekskill riots." Encyclopedia of New York State, edited by Peter R. Eisenstadt and Laura-Eve Moss, Syracuse UP, 2005, p. 1190. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A194197875/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=25d15b16. Accessed 30 Aug. 2022.
- Horne, Gerald. “Paul Robeson: The Artist as Revolutionary.” Pluto Press. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt19b9jxj.9
- Hudson River Maritime Museum. “Paul Robeson and the Peekskill Riots.” 1/18/2021. https://www.hrmm.org/history-blog/paul-robeson-and-the-peekskill-riots
- Huggins, Nathan Irvin. "Paul Robeson." The Nation, vol. 248, no. 11, 20 Mar. 1989, pp. 383+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A7424117/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=6617e02c. Accessed 30 Aug. 2022.
- Karp, Jonathan D. “Performing Black-Jewish Symbiosis: The ‘Hassidic Chant’ of Paul Robeson.” American Jewish History, Volume 91, Number 1, March 2003. https://doi.org/10.1353/ajh.2004.0032
- "Remembering Peekskill." Jacobin Magazine, 22 June 2017, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675159334/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=459a974b. Accessed 30 Aug. 2022.
- Robeson, Paul. “The Negro people and the Soviet Union.” 1950. https://palmm.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A4785
- Salkin, Jeffrey K. “Inside The 1949 Westchester KKK Attack Where Rioters Chanted ‘We’re Hitler’s Boys’” Forward. 8/26/2019. https://forward.com/culture/113279/peekskill-riots-1949-westchester-kkk-fascist-attack-jewish-black-attendees/
- Shea, Rich. “Paul Robeson Football Star.” Rutgers Today. 3/13/2019. https://www.rutgers.edu/news/paul-robeson-football-star
- Smith, Ronald A. “The Paul Robeson—Jackie Robinson Saga and a Political Collision.” Journal of Sport History , Summer 1979, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Summer 1979). Via JSTOR. : https://www.jstor.org/stable/43608951
- Walwik, Joseph. “Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Vol. 66, No. 1, Paul Robeson (1898-1976)—A Centennial Symposium (Winter 1999).” Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27774178
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