Paul Robeson Sings with War Workers, 1942

One of the songs Paul Robeson sang for groups of laborers was, “Joe Hill,” based on a poem written by Alfred Hayes called “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night.” Joe Hill was a union organizer who became a martyr for the labor movement after he was executed for a crime many believe he did not commit.

Paul Robeson Sings with War Workers 1942

In 1942, Paul Robeson sang with war workers at the Moore Shipyard in Oakland, California. That evening, he addressed a meeting held by the Citizens for Victory Committee and the Bay Area Council Against Discrimination.

National Archives, Records of the Office of War Information