Paul Robeson: Self
Quotes
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Paul Robeson : Shakespeare, the genius that he was, seemed to foreshadow and understand many of the problems that have since arisen in our world - perhaps were present then. First, I would say, that here is a part which has dignity for the negro actor - often we don't get those opportunities. And I would say that my people will be very proud of - my or any other negro actor appearing in such a part. I think also there - that, to me, Othello is one of a different culture. Shakespeare insists that he is African - some argued whether he's - the word black and the fact that he's from Africa is very clear to me. And that Shakespeare posed this problem of a, say, black man in a white society.
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Narrator : In 1928, Robeson opened in the London production of 'Show Boat'. And it's interesting that when he recorded Old Man River for the first time, a year earlier, he sang the original Hammerstein lyrics using the word 'niggers'.
Paul Robeson : [singing] Niggers all work on de Mississippi, Niggers all work while de white folks play, Pullin' dem boats from dawn to sunset
Narrator : By 1928, Robeson had persuaded Hammerstein to change the word to 'darkies' - which may seem less than any change at all, in terms of today's thinking, but the lyrics of Old Man River were eventually to change mightily in the years to come.
