Editing Paul Robeson (section)

===1937–1939: Spanish Civil War and political activism===
Robeson believed that the struggle against fascism during the [[Spanish Civil War]] was a turning point in his life and transformed him into a political activist.<ref>{{harvnb|Seton|1958|p=53}}; cf. {{harvnb|Robeson|1981|p=38}}, {{harvnb|Duberman|1989|p=220}}</ref> In 1937, he used his concert performances to advocate the [[Republican faction (Spanish Civil War)|Republican]] cause and the war's refugees.<ref>{{harvnb|Robeson|2001|p=292}}; cf. {{harvnb|Boyle|Bunie|2005|pp=375–378}}</ref> He permanently modified his renditions of "Ol' Man River" – initially, by singing the word "darkies" instead of "niggers"; later, by changing some of the stereotypical dialect in the lyrics to standard English and replacing the fatalistic last verse ("Ah gits weary / An' sick of tryin' / Ah'm tired of livin' / An skeered of dyin{{'"}}) with an uplifting verse of his own ("But I keep laffin' / Instead of cryin' / I must keep fightin' / Until I'm dyin{{'"}}) – transforming it from a tragic "song of resignation with a hint of protest implied" into a battle hymn of unwavering defiance.<ref>Glazer defines it as a change from a "lyric of defeat into a rallying cry". {{harvnb|Glazer|2007|p=167}}; cf. {{harvnb|Robeson|2001|p=293}}, {{harvnb|Boyle|Bunie|2005|p=381}}, {{harvnb|Lennox|2011|p=124}}, {{harvnb|Robeson|1981|p=37}}, {{harvnb|Hopkins|1998|p=313}}.</ref> His business agent expressed concern about his political involvement,{{sfn|Duberman|1989|p=222}} but Robeson overruled him and decided that contemporary events trumped commercialism.<ref>"Paul Robeson at the Unity Theater", ''[[Daily Express]]'', June 20, 1938; cf. {{harvnb|Duberman|1989|pp=222–223}}.</ref> In [[Wales]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agor.org.uk/cwm/themes/Life/international_relations/paul_robeson.asp|title=Paul Robeson|year=2002|work=Coalfield Web Materials|publisher=University of Wales Swansea<!-- Swansea University since 2007, UWS before that -->|access-date=March 3, 2006|archive-date=February 3, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060203181631/http://www.agor.org.uk/cwm/themes/Life/international_relations/paul_robeson.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> he commemorated the Welsh people killed while fighting for the Republicans,{{sfn|Boyle|Bunie|2005|p=396}} where he recorded a message that became his epitaph: "The artist must take sides. He must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative."<ref>{{cite news|title=Spanish Relief Efforts: Albert Hall Meeting £1,000 Collected for Children|date=June 25, 1937|work=[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]|page=6|id={{ProQuest|484207378}}}}; cf. {{harvnb|Brown|1997|p=77}}, {{harvnb|Robeson|2001|p=372}}</ref>

After an invitation from [[J. B. S. Haldane]],{{sfn|Beevor|2006|p=356}} he traveled to Spain in 1938 because he believed in the [[International Brigades]]'s cause,{{sfn|Wyden|1983|pp=433–434}} visited the hospital of [[Benicàssim]], singing to the wounded soldiers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.comunitatvalenciana.com/rutas-culturales/2016/10/26/paulrobeson/|title=Paul Robeson|newspaper=Rutas Culturales|access-date=October 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030000718/http://blogs.comunitatvalenciana.com/rutas-culturales/2016/10/26/paulrobeson/|archive-date=October 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Robeson also visited the battlefront<ref>{{harvnb|Beevor|2006|p=356}}; cf. {{harvnb|Eby|2007|pp=279–280}}, {{harvnb|Landis|1967|pp=245–246}}</ref> and provided a morale boost to the Republicans at a time when their victory was unlikely.{{sfn|Wyden|1983|pp=433–434}} Back in England, he hosted [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] to support [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence]], whereat Nehru expounded on imperialism's affiliation with Fascism.<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|484443209}} |title=India's Struggle for Freedom : Mr. Nehru on Imperialism and Fascism |newspaper=The Manchester Guardian |date=June 28, 1938 |page=6 }}; {{harvnb|Duberman|1989|p=225}}</ref> Robeson reevaluated the direction of his career and decided to focus on the ordeals of "common people".<ref>{{harvnb|Duberman|1989|p=223}} {{harvnb|Nollen|2010|p=122}}</ref> He appeared in the pro-labor play ''Plant in the Sun'', in which he played an Irishman, his first "white" role.{{clarify|date=August 2017}}<ref>{{harvnb|Nollen|2010|p=122}}</ref> With [[Max Yergan]], and the [[Council on African Affairs|International Committee on African Affairs]] (later known as the [[Council on African Affairs]]), Robeson became an advocate for African nationalism and political independence.<ref>{{harvnb|Boyle|Bunie|2005|p=320}}; cf. {{harvnb|Von Eschen|2014|p=?}}</ref>

[[File:Paul Robeson - Birmingham Town Hall - 1939-03-07.jpg|thumb|upright| Robeson performs at [[Birmingham Town Hall]], England, on March 7, 1939, in aid of a local charity, the ''[[Birmingham Mail]]'' Christmas Tree Fund.<ref>{{cite news |title=Robeson's Return |work=Birmingham Mail |date=March 8, 1939 |page=10}}</ref> The advertised pianist was [[Lawrence Benjamin Brown|Lawrence Brown]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Priestley's Present Paul Robeson with Lawrence Brown at the piano |work=Birmingham Mail |date=February 20, 1939 |page=1}}</ref>]]

Paul Robeson was living in Britain until the start of the Second World War in 1939. His name was included in the ''[[The Black Book (list)|Sonderfahndungsliste G.B.]]'' as a target for arrest if Germany had occupied Britain.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nazi's black list discovered in Berlin | newspaper=[[The Manchester Guardian]]| via=Guardian Century – 1940–1949 | date=September 14, 1945 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/century/1940-1949/Story/0,6051,127730,00.html | access-date=June 22, 2021 | archive-date=October 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001002033/https://www.theguardian.com/century/1940-1949/Story/0,6051,127730,00.html | url-status=live }}</ref>