Yes, Robeson's performance was a radical act for its time, per Earl Robinson's intention to put the Negro at the center of the American experience--a radical act even now, but increasingly common even in the 1940s, per Duke Ellington, Richard Wright, et al.
What this has to do with Obama, I don't know. Probably the flag lapel biz won't work. All older white people had to see was Jeremiah Wright and it's all over for Obama. Only the total catastrophe of the Bush administration gives Obama even a fighting chance. In any case, Obama's neoliberal buppie version of patriotism lacks the intensity of the Americanism of black Americans who grew up under more repressive circumstances. After all, who appreciates the ideal values of a society more than its outsiders, for whom ideals are urgent necessities and not rote platitudes? The record of Black Americanism--esp. among its writers and musicians--is second to none in its devotion to the potentials of an America that refuses to recognize the real basis of its greatness. I'll just give a couple of lesser known examples to be found on my web site: <http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/elling01.html>Duke Ellington: "We, Too, Sing 'America'" <http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/ornette1.html>"Skies of America" by Ornette Coleman Another little-known example is the avant-garde musician Anthony Braxton, who in his "third millennial inteview", after going on and on and on and on about the exclusion and invisibility of black thinkers and artists, esp. those that refuse to be pigeonholed, concludes: >To have these two-dimensional concepts about >blues and swing are false arguments, arguments >that make sense to a certain sector of >musicology-certainly, to a certain sector of >music theorists, and the academy. Arguments that >can be used to isolate the vibrational spectra >of trans-African invention and mystic dynamics. >To strip that information and use it for their >own purposes, while at the same time denying the >thrust of trans-African, and, finally, American >invention, its proper vibrational >components-because what I'm talking of is >something more profound than Africa. I'm talking >of the greatest nation in documented history; >I'm talking about our home, Mike Heffley. > >Our home is a home that has everybody here, >bouncing off one another. Our home, especially >as we move into the Third Millennium, is more >complex than simply a Christian nation: it's a >Muslim nation, it's a Christian nation, it's an >Indian nation. It's a nation where women are >suddenly not in the same position, and are >suddenly able to ask the question, "what do I >want for myself?" It's a country where this next >generation of African Americans are not going to >be able to talk about disadvantages in the old >way; but in fact, the components of the old way will apply. http://www.autodidactproject.org/my/braxton2q.html This is our home--and look how we're behaving at home. We should be ashamed to set foot outside it. At 08:52 AM 5/22/2008, Charles Brown wrote: >Lets see if Barry can tap the rational kernel of >"patriotism", love of country as expressed in >the Ballad for Americans. Ballad For Americans >"Ballad For Americans" (1939) is an American >patriotic cantata with lyrics by John La Touche >and music by Earl Robinson. Originally titled >"The Ballad for Uncle Sam", it was originally >written for a WPA theatre project called Sing >for Your Supper.[1] The "Ballad" was performed >on the CBS radio network by Paul Robeson, >accompanied by chorus and orchestra. Both >Robeson and Bing Crosby had commercially >successful recordings of the piece. In the 1940 >presidential campaign it was played at both the >Republican National Convention and that of the >Communist Party. Its popularity continued >through the period of World War II[2] - in >autumn 1943, 200 African American soldiers >performed the piece in a benefit concert at >London's Royal Albert Hall[3] - but because of >Robinson and Robeson's left-wing politics, it >largely fell out of the general repertoire of >American popular music during the Second Red >Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s. It has, >nonetheless, been periodically revived, notably >during the United States Bicentennial (1976).[2] >There is also a well-known recording by Odetta, >recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1960. Invoking the >American Revolution (it names several prominent >revolutionary patriots and quotes the preamble >of the Declaration of Independence), and the >freeing of the slaves in the American Civil War >(there is a brief lyrical and musical quotation >of the spiritual "Go Down Moses"), as well as >Lewis and Clark, the Klondike Gold Rush, and >Susan B. Anthony, the piece draws an inclusive >picture of America: "I'm just an Irish American, >Negro, Jewish American, Italian, French and >English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish, >Scotch, Hungarian, Litwak, Swedish, Finnish >American, Canadian, Greek and Turk and Czech and >double-check American - I was baptized Baptist, >Methodist, Congregationalist, Lutheran, Atheist, >Roman Catholic - [etc.]" The lyrics periodically >point at elite skepticism toward its inclusive >American vision ("Nobody who was anybody >believed it") before coming back to its refrain: >For I have always believed it, And I believe it >now, And now you know who I am. (Who are you?) >America! America! Many performers of the >"Ballad" have made minor changes in the lyrics. >For example, in the passage quoted above, the >NYC Labor Chorus make several changes, including >changing "Negro" to "African" and substituting >"Jamaican" for "Litvak". Similarly, they add >"Moslem" to the list of religions.[4] In a >passage near the end that begins "Out of the >cheating, out of the shouting," Robeson in his >1940 recording adds "lynchings" to the list[5]; >the NYC Labor Chorus attempt to bring the piece >up to date with: Out of the greed and polluting, >Out of the massacre at Wounded Knee, Out of the >lies of McCarthy, Out of the murders of Martin >and John [4] [edit] Notes ^ Online notes from >2005 Paul Robeson Conference at Lafayette >College. Accessed 31 January 2006. ^ a b Dreier >& Flacks ^ "Ballad for Britons", Time, 11 >October 1943 ^ a b "Ballad For Americans" lyrics >as given on the site of the NYC Labor Chorus. ^ >Paul Robeson recording, accessed on the >Lafayette College site [edit] References Peter >Dreier & Dick Flacks, "Patriotism's Secret >History". The Nation, June 3, 2002 issue. >Accessed 31 January 2006. Paul Robeson >Conference April 7-9, 2005 at Lafeyette College. >Page includes a link to Robeson's 1945 recording >of "Ballad for Americans" in WMA format. >Accessed 31 January 2006. "Ballad For Americans" >lyrics by John La Touche (1939). "Ballad For >Americans" lyrics as given on the site of the >NYC Labor Chorus. Accessed 31 January 2006. >Retrieved from >"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad_For_Americans"; >Categories: American patriotic songs | American >songs | Cantatas This message has been scanned >for malware by SurfControl plc. >www.surfcontrol.com >_______________________________________________ >Marxism-Thaxis mailing list >Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change >your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG. >Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: >269.23.21/1458 - Release Date: 5/21/2008 7:21 AM _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
