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THE PZOPLE'S SID: OF THE ROBESON INCIDENT A gifted Negro artist, Paul Rebeson, one of the greates singers of our age, came to Peoria. But the people of Peoria were denied the right to hear him singe Paul Robeson is not only a great singer, he is also 3 fine warm cultured personalitye A big man in body, mind and soul. At college, Paul Robeson was an honor student and an All=-Amere ican end on the Rutgers football team. As singer and actor he has had outstanding success on the stage, screen and radio,g He is a well-traveled man who sings in many Sanguages. Because of his abile ity to sing the songs and reach the hearts of the common man all over the world, he has earned the titles of "Citizen of the World" and "Singer of People's Songs". This man has sung in the biggest audite oriums around the globe. He has put his great talents at the service of his own people and of the toilers.e So he has sing to soldiers at the battle front and to workers in their union halls and on the picket lines, Perhaps that is why the powers that be would allow Paul Robeson no place in Peoria to sing his golden songs, except the small living room of a worker's home, WHY? WEY? WHY? Citizens of Peorla, we must ask; WHY were we denied the right to hear Paul Robeson singT WHY wos a great American artist denied civil rights and civil courtesy in our city? WHO organized the Hitler-like campaign of terrorism against this noted representative of the Negro people? What vested interests were able to turn our Mayor and other city authorities into spineless jellyfish, using their law enforcement powers not to protect Paul Robeson from thrects of violence, but to collaborate with the lswless elements who made the threats? WHO, behind the acenes, decided that we wero not intelligsnt enough to judge for ourselves the merits of Mr. Robcson's offerings. THESE ASE THs FACTS Paul Robeson was engoged to sing at the Shrine Mosque on Friday, April 18, 1947. His concert was arranged by Allen Cannon, part time misio instructor at Bradley College. It was one of a serics of cone certs promoted for the sake of profit cnd to bring noted singers and choruses to Peorias Previous concerts had received good publicity and ore roported to have beon vory successful and profitaoles But from the firat announcements of the Roboson concert thore were rumblings of opposition, coming in the main from people conne- , ectod with and influcnced by somo of Peoria's big industriose A. 765 kill-with-slionce pods cy of press and rodio was combined with a whispering campaign to limit the sale of tickets. Up to a fow days beforo the concert this was apparently condidercd adequate to guare