June 17 , 2005

Hello,

There's not too much to report but I felt that it was time to submit a letter to the site and let you know what's been happening this Spring and what's planned for the Summer...

The Pete Seeger tribute concert/benefit for "Sing-Out" magazine was an inspiring night. One of the best parts was the rare experience that I had of being one of the youngest performers on the bill. Being treated like a new kid after 24 years on the stage was really fun. Standing next to Pete, Odetta and Ronnie whose careers in music began in the 1930's really changed my perspective. All the performers who were involved have had a history of social and political activism. Singing, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I had a Hammer" with the man who wrote those songs brought unexpected tears to my eyes. Those were such important songs of my childhood, among the first I had ever learned. They were such precious gifts and they had come from this man, I was suddenly so grateful to him.

I had the privilege of a long conversation with Mr. Seeger. For years I've been curious about the infamous riots at Peekskill, NY in 1949 surrounding a concert of Paul Robeson's. I knew that Pete was on that bill, participated in the concert and had been at the riot. I wanted to hear his account. It's shameful and shocking to know that there was an active Ku Klux Klan enclave in upstate New York (where I've made my home for 16 years).

The concert was to be a benefit for the Harlem Chapter of the Civil Rights Council at Lakeland Park on August 27, 1949 but it was unable to proceed because of the violent mob of 700 that attacked the organizers, burned the stage, rented chairs and portable generator, blocked the exits so that they could trap, threaten, pummel and stone the 39 men and boys who were protected the small crowd (largely women and children) who came early to picnic before the show. All this happened with the compliance of the local sheriff's department and with a dozen reporters present.

Paul Robeson never made it to the stage that night. He was intercepted at the train station and taken to safety. The concert was rescheduled for the following week (September 3rd) and rather than the audience of 2,000 that was expected for the first aborted concert, more than 20,000 attended and a human fence of 3,000 trade unionists held hands to create a protective circle for the crowd. When the concert ended, traffic was directed down a single lane by the local police where the cars were pelted by rocks and jeered at by hoodlums with, "go back to Jew-town you white-nigger-commie-bastards".

Pete said that he had his wife and two small children in their car when his driver's window was shattered by a rock. I've read that he took that rock and built it into the fireplace of his home. I forgot to ask him if that is truth or a poetic invention of legend. He said that one of the most shocking things to happen in connection with the riots was the headline in the local Peekskill paper the morning after the riot, it read something like, "Peekskill Woke Up, When Will You?" He said it was such a disturbing distortion of truth and a rally cry to the intolerant and bigoted all across the country.

If you'd like to read a first-hand account of the riots, I found two online:

Howard Fast's account of the riot
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/peekskill.html
Virginia Hirsch's account of the riots
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/157.html

There's also been a documentary film made about the incident:

Voices of History Video Project
http://www.highlands.com/robeson/voices.html

Well, aside from meeting genteel revolutionaries I've been designing the package for the upcoming "hits & rarities" package and recording a few additional tracks for inclusion in the same. The deadline is mid-July, so I should expect it to be released in the early Fall.

I'll keep you posted brothers and sisters...

You Keep On,

Natalie

p.s. Philadelphia's NPR affiliate WXPN has created a World Cafe show based on performances and interviews from the Where Have All The Flowers Gone concert, it will air over the July 4th weekend, please check your local station for broadcast times and dates.