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dated September 17, 1953: U.S. Continues Ban on Paul Robeson

The American State Department refused to permit coloured American singer Paul Robeson to go to Britain for a Miners' eisteddfodd — a Welsh festival of music — that was due to be held in October 1953. According to a statement issued in Swansea by the Executive Committee of the South Wales Miners group, it had invited the acclaimed Mr. Robeson as a guest to the miners' annual Eisteddfodd to be held at Porthcawl, and was disappointed to learn that American authorities had refused to restore his passport. South Wales Miners' President, Mr. Will Paynter, said, "This action by the American State Department confirms the doubts of many people as to the conduct of the State Department in relation to America's Negro subjects. It reveals that liberty and freedom for the individual as practised in the United States are far different from what they preach about them abroad."

Paul Robeson was considered to be a Communist sympathizer, and therefore in strong disfavour with the U.S. Government. In July 1950, the State Department asked Mr. Robeson to surrender his passport because it considered that any trip abroad he might make would not be in the interests of the United States.

The State Department said in justification of its action that Mr. Robeson had made speeches disparaging the policy of the United States, and praising Russia. A suit asking for restoration of his passport was dismissed in 1952.

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