popularresistance.org
Union Hall Arts Residency Blends Organizing And Creative Power - PopularResistance.Org
Detroit—“The artist must take sides,” famed singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson proclaimed in 1937. “He must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative.” Robeson took his stand in a speech given in support of the People’s Front fighting against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, making clear the role of artists in the fight against suppressive regimes. Red Scare intimidation tactics and FBI harassment are often associated with Robeson, but more than that, his life was also defined by art, camaraderie, and a love for humanity. He believed steadfastly that artists must step up in the struggle for a better world.