The Universalism of Paul Robeson

International Conference

Achtung Ortsänderung!
Auch Donnerstag findet die Tagung im Einstein Forum statt!

Venue change!
On Thursday the conference takes place at the Einstein Forum!

Also streamed Live via Zoom. Please register here for
Thursday, September 26
Friday, September 27
Saturday, September 28

Conception: Susan Neiman, Potsdam

Speakers include Margaret Burnham, Chicago; Peter Carroll, Los Angeles; Korey Garibaldi, South Bend; Victor Grossman, Berlin; Nell Painter, Newark; Susan Robeson, New York; Albie Sachs, Capetown; Penny M. Von Eschen, Charlottesville; Daniel G. Williams, Swansea; Benjamin Zachariah, Potsdam.

When W.E.B. Dubois called Paul Robeson “the best-known American on earth”, he wasn’t exaggerating. The activist and artist whose own father was born in slavery rose to become the most famous performer in the world. His songs and films were played on every continent, and his passionate engagement for justice and peace inspired many millions. 27 countries, from Mexico to China, organized celebrations for his 60th birthday; they were held in four different cities in India alone. Yet his socialist activism led the United States government to withdraw his passport and prevent him from speaking or performing for many years, and when he is remembered today it is as a forerunner of the American Civil Rights Movement. This he surely was, but his deep commitment to international solidarity is often forgotten in an age that is wary of anything which suggests ties to socialism. By inviting speakers and singers from many countries who will discuss Robeson’s importance for Wales, East Germany, South Africa, Spain, India as well as for the United States, we intend not only to honor his memory, but to inspire others to take up his spirit.

In addition to the conference, the Einstein Forum will host an exhibition of photographs from Paul Robeson’s life. The exhibition will run from September 26, 2024, to February 28, 2025.

Tagungsbroschüre/Conference brochure

Program

Thursday 26 September
Einstein Forum, Potsdam!

16:00 Susan Neiman
Introduction

16:15 Susan Robeson
Keynote Address

18:00 Performance
Paul Robeson Choir

Friday 27 September
Einstein Forum, Potsdam

10:30 Korey Garibaldi
From Princeton to Pushkin. Paul Robeson in and beyond the Black Press

11.30 Margaret Burnham
Paul Robeson and the Rise and Fall of Freedom

12:30 Film Screening
Jericho (UK 1937)
Starring Paul Robeson

15.15 Peter N. Carroll
Paul Robeson and the Spanish Civil War
(Read by Sebastian Faber)

16:00 Penny Van Eschen
Paul Robeson and the Anti-Imperialist Imagination