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With World War II shipyard workers

Black and white photo. A singing Paul Robeson stands tall in the foreground of this photo, surrounded by a crowd of all-male shipyard workers. Robeson wears a double-breasted, light-colored wool suit; both he and the shipyard workers are hatless.

Paul Robeson leading Moore Shipyard (Oakland, CA) workers in singing the Star Spangle Banner, September 1942. Robeson’s hatred of fascism aligned him with U.S. war aims in World War II, although he spoke of two wars—one against worldwide fascism, the other against racial segregation in the U.S.

1942
Attribution/Credit

National Archives & Records Administration, via “Paul Robeson,” Wikipedia