Paul Robeson had been invited to sing at the Fourth Canadian Convention of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers in Vancouver in February of 1952. An outspoken supporter of civil rights worldwide and an admirer of the Soviet Union, where he perceived there to be no racism, Robeson had been increasingly persecuted for his political views since the late 1940s.

His passport had been confiscated by the State Department, denying his right to travel and perform outside the United States, and he was even prevented from crossing the border to Canada, which at the time did not require United States citizens to show a passport.

The Convention heard Robeson sing over the telephone and promised to organize a concert on the US-Canadian border and, indeed, they did. Refusing to be silenced, Robeson rolled up onto the bridge at Peace Arch Park on a flatbed truck and started singing about civil rights, freedom, and social justice to the delight of about 40,000 fans.

Accompanied by Lawrence Brown on piano, Robeson sang and spoke for 45 minutes. He introduced his first song, stating, “I stand here today under great stress because I dare, as do you – all of you, to fight for peace and for a decent life for all men, women, and children.” He proceeded to sing spirituals, folk songs, labor songs, and a passionate version of “Old Man River,” written for him in the 1920s, slowly enunciating “show a little grit and you land in jail,” underlining the fact that his government had turned the entire country into a prison for Robeson and many others. It was a magnificent performance and a triumph for a movement facing the scourge of McCarthyism and the Red Scare.

“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is hosted by Hollis Monroe. Produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producer is Dennis Green.

1936, and New York City postman Victor Hugo Green publishes the first edition of the Negro Motorist Green-Book. This directory of hotels, restaurants, mechanics, and other services open to Blacks became an indispensable resource for travelers of color.

Each annual edition grew in size and detail, mapping roads relatively safe from police profiling. “Driving while Black” was a common offense, and it was not unheard of for Black motorists, especially cars full of Black musicians, to disappear while on a road trip. Victor Green also included an ever-growing list of “sundown towns” – cities both north and south not safe for Black motorists after dusk.

Black musicians kept well-thumbed copies of the Green Book close by when touring. The nation’s craving for jazz and dance bands, sadly, outpaced its open-mindedness toward the people who played the music. Drummer “Tootie” Heath recalled that it was “just normal stuff” to be shut out of hotels, not served in restaurants, or denied use of the bathroom.

Pianist Norman Simmons explained that from the Green Book, he knew which restaurants would allow his band to sit and eat, which ones would only let him order food to go, and where they could sleep for the night. Said Simmons, “Sometimes it was a long ways between friendly towns. There were often five of us in the car and we’d just have to take turns driving.”

The Negro Motorist Green-Book helped jazz musicians chart safe routes through Jim Crow America. “I lived through it,” said Tootie Heath, “but a lot of my friends did not.”

“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is hosted by Hollis Monroe. Produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producer is Dennis Green.

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