All night all day we will be fighting for freddie grey. All night. All day. We will be fighting for freddie grey. Let me say first of all, it is a daughter and a pleasure to be back here i was here some months ago to introduce the new books i have written and i consider it to be quite an honor they have invited me back again so those who may not be familiar of freddie grey, a young black man who had a fatal encounter with the police in the city of baltimore and he is in a long list of such young black people with fatal encounters with the authorities including cleveland and new york and texas and hopefully when i will be talking about this evening is to say in the event that spee is the fear the period of the haitian revolution in this will shed some light i would hope on why is north america we have had a spectacular rise and surge of Police Killings and misdeeds upon black people in particular. First of all, with regard to the haitian revolution 1791324 that we are even a successful revolt, he cannot begin to understand the haitian revolution unless one sees this spectacular event in some ways as a sequel to the revolts are british rule of arabamericans in 1776 leading to the formation of the Slave Holding Republic still known as the United States of america. That is to say as i argued in my book contrary to the Broadway Musical such as hamilton and contrary to what is routinely taught in schools from the atlantics through the pacific the foundation of the United States of america took place in no small measure because it was against the abolitionist in london that the case seemed to be suggesting that slave property that even than in north america was worth millions mate be headed for the dustbin of history that i explained in my book in some detail and as the state now known as zimbabwe revolted against british rule in 65 because they thought they were moving towards decolonization and the oneperson onevote leaving to african majority rule they tried to continue their regime by setting up the new state of rhodesia and at the time they said there were walking in the footsteps of 1776 to say that was an attempt to escape the logic of abolition of slavery in Southern Africa was an attempt to escape the logic of colonization of one person one vote so therefore you cannot begin to understand the travails and tribulations experienced by people of african descent of north america unless you understand from the orders of magnitude they fought against the formation day sided with london in the attempt to crush the slaveholders rebellion just like the africans did not accept the establishment of the new states of rhodesia and when you fight a war and lose you can expect to be pulverized unless and and tell you can turn the tables against your oppressors in one way we could turn the tables was through the haitian revolution of 1791 through 18 04 that follows quickly upon the footsteps of the formation of the u. S. Constitution in the first convening of congress that it was the of reputation of this new Slave Holding Republic which is why start the book with president George Washington discussing his reservations of the haitian revolution and in any case what happened is is the africans could succeed against the French Military one of the most powerful examples of valor and fortitude known to history up through this point to establish the independent black republic in 1904. But as she might have surmised there was great consternation in the republics about the success and if in the victory of the haitian revolution you may recall if you look at many major slave revolts rocking north america through the circuit 1800 from South Carolina where from 1831 in virginia, they all have the fingerprints of haiti all over them but the revolt takes place at the same time as the haitian revolution is unfolding in to recall charlestons South Carolina was a seafarer and reportedly part of the game and ambition was to not only revolts against slavery but escaped with formerly enslaved people able to ceylon to the island that was ruled by africans now what is interesting about many of these revolts theyre not like others that are taking place in the hemisphere with which there is inspiration by the haitian revolutionaries or direct instigation the fact the argument that i make in this book is that the haitian revolution reminds me of the crisis of the entire system that can only be resolved so if you try to understand why slavery collapsed in north america you should not only look to the four corners of arabamericans also into haiti and as a said previously also to the inspiration of the british abolitionists in london what is interesting as well is the u. S. Slave holding republic did not accept the haitian revolution. You may recall in the 1820s there was a movement of the free Negro Population including those from baltimore to haiti they were moving to haiti not only to escape persecution that they routinely encountered in north america, but also intending to bolster and fortified haiti as the independent black republic to playing a key role to keep the independent republic afloat also wants is keeping they did not forsake for forget their brothers and sisters here in north america although in the abolition societies on the island were very much involved to help stir up antislavery sentiment in the United States of america itself leading to the second half of the story which is the United States hopes to instigate the revolutionary island of haiti because it is now occupied by two states, haiti in the Dominican Republic it was in 1844 the u. S. Secretary of state calhoun from slave holding South Carolina helped to engineer one of the first covert actions a Foreign Policy to help fund a secession of splits leading to the formation of the Dominican Republic with persistent conflict between these two states with haiti on one side and the Dominican Republic on the other and in fact, in one of their rare instances of history of colonialism, the Dominican Republic from the United States civil war was about to be ignited and invites the former colonial power back to the island to read colonize the Dominican Republic to say most nations struggled against colonialism. But because of the blacks scare and the fear of haitian rule and domination those on the eastern side invited them to come back and take over. But this pernicious even was overtaken by the onset of the u. S. Civil war in the United States which did not recognize haiti finally found out there real friends and enemies because spanish cuba was leaning toward diplomatic relations with the Confederate States of america is of the abolitionists were barely able to prevent london from lending diplomatic support to the Confederate States of america but it was haiti that stood square in favor of the United States government as a pod to the death against the slave holding Confederate States of america and by the way april 152016 marks the onset of the emancipation of the enslaves in neighboring washington d. C. Which is a market as we speak but no good deed goes unpunished and as a result of haiti helping to support the United States of america during its hour of need need, that led to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of u. S. Nationals so you may ask yourself parenthetically how is and why it is that a failed regime which revolted against United States government and led to the slaughter of thousands probably have more monuments in the United States of america of the and those who were victorious in this strange and unusual with those who the data are squashed and defeated wind up having more monuments the and the people who hope to squash them. You can now begin to understand the conundrum the list to understand those and revolted against washington in 1861 thought they were in the footsteps of those who voted against london in 1776 as revolting continued that institution known as slavery and in any case with United States government as it looks around its neighborhood and villages under british rule cuba, jamaica, barbados, tri nidad, but you have the two independent states that is revolutionary 80 in the dominican government bacchanals to the spanish after they were invited back in 1860 with the assistance of haiti so the idea in washington under president grant was to advance the island and haiti and then deport the newly freed in slave population in mass to the island of that scheme was narrowly defeated in the u. S. Congress otherwise a person like myself may not be sitting here speaking english by could be speaking creole or spanish on the island and that is where this book ends but sadly that is not where tens of the island but i am sure you recall 100 years ago the rest u. S. Military occupation of both haiti and the Dominican Republic we know the u. S. Occupation did not end until the Administration Never is about of 1934 and the Dominican Republic had ample support for the dictator who ruled for decades until he met his maker in the assassination attempt. But what is interesting is the color phobia of that persist to say you might recall in the 30s the dominican government massacred numbers of haitians may have seen the photos of sammy sosa one of the top homerun hitters in baseball history but after he retires somehow magically his color was transformed into my schaede and then maybe to the face of madonna this isnt necessarily idiosyncrasy is sammy sosa of the more a reflection of a culture not alike of the United States of america that tends to privileged White Supremacy to downgrade those that happen to be dark skin a legacy of slavery and i dare say if you want to understand how i began my remarks with a shout out to freddie grey for the recent reports from the chicago authorities that pointed out how the Police Department is riddled with antiblack racism with a disproportionate number of people that are slain not to mention in misused and abused, even if you understand something that is not as grave as the controversy tummy have to wonder still in the history of slavery in the United States but more them that another step to understand how the United States was formed in the revolt of the abolition of slavery then you may be able to understand why in 2016 we may be staring down the barrel President Trump or perhaps the worst alternative them back. So now i will turn to the book paul robeson the artist as revolutionary. As you may recall, paul robeson born in new jersey died in philadelphia. Inbetween then he extent excelled as a scholar Rutgers University and as an athlete an allamerican Football Player baseball catcher, a florida basketball, but he achieved fame as a cultural worker as a singer and actor is not an exaggeration to suggest at the apex of his career he was the best known black american on planet earth and maybe one of the best u. S. Nationals because his records were all over the world and his movies were broadcast all over the world as well. But paul robeson did not find that to be satisfying to be worldrenowned because he knew despite his own personality minted achievements, languishing in hell hole of jim crow were his brothers and sisters in dixie. Also the number of black cultural workers, in particular musicians he found his fame and fortune overseas. That is a repetitive pattern of black americans and their artistic gifts are recognized more read of the outside of the United States and inside and paul robeson moving to london in his early 20s if he climbs the ladder of success, to hobnob with the great and good allowing him to achieve his stellar accomplishments to play the role of both fellow othello although he did make his mark in hollywood nonetheless but a turning point in paul robeson life is in the early 30s when he is on his way to you germany eddingtons frontend costs facetoface the beer teeth that nazi, germany. It shakes them up and goes to the soviet union where he encounters memories from harlan because patterson led the charge in the case of the scottsboro nine involving nine black youths accused falsely of sexual molestation in this is important because under the leadership of the International Labor defense, the case was turned into an international cause not unlike the apartheid in south africa in the 80s. Path that was the first stage of a successful challenge some of jimcrow with the brown vs. Board of education with the rise of rosa parks but in many ways the first chapter was struck under the leadership of patterson who happened to be a black communist and was trained to a degree in russia and new paul robeson because he was a lawyer at the same time and reignited the friendship and is privatizing the hope to push him to the left from the point in you may recall with the spanish civil war one of the first chapters of the fascists under adolf hitler the spanish republic is overthrown because of the ample assistance. Bin contributes the talent and funding it probably was misstated in london through the end of his life to the onset of world war ii in europe. But decided to pack up to the lonely and. They are engaged in a debate in parenthetically you should know in the runup in the runup to do pearl harbor that japan made a very sustained not unsuccessful effort strip there was many contradictions but they were all united around the idea to a greater or lesser degree so when japan bombed pearl harbor it was the infrastructure that paul robeson began to chip away that destiny and fate should rest with solidarity and then rather than coming to the song of siren song of the tokyo letting the cat out of the bag my next book is on the subject and like many intriguing chapters with the rabil of benicia but paul robeson could chip away at that type of sentiment to be listed in great numbers of the military with the fascist powers but once again no good deed goes unpunished at the end of road or to the onset of the cold war because of the kinship with moscow. That is okay to be promoscow june 22nd, 1941 when hitler invaded russia it is okay to be promoscow. In then your home boy pat buchanan. So if washington vet could ally it is beyond the boundary reasons the washington would have none of it. But what takes place in 194846 and then wags of thing your against black people including soldiers in uniform Harry Trumans face was turning purple as the blood rushed to his temples but that was a turning point for his live and then beginning to see increased persecution. And that takes away the life blood of his career. And then plummeting from the six figures down to the four figures a concert and then was assaulted by a mob to physically mutilate him if not doing away with them all together with the Organization Led by patterson who by that time a socalled communist front pursuing those to their grave. He was barely able to escape with his body intact but it did not end there. But you will recall that they filed a petition which with the United Nations and charging the authorities against black people the petition they published this audacious maneuver sold thousands of copies abroad putting pressure on the authority to do something and recall that this particular moment when washington was seeking to peak point the finger of accusation but when patterson id paul robeson piled the position he was called something of day hypocrite to put enormous pressure on the United States to do something about jimcrow it is this surprising if you look at the brief filed by u. S. State department which reverses plessey verses ferguson decision that jim crow was legal and constitutional then you cannot begin to understand why it took place with omnibus spending without understanding the role of the left with International Alliances because i dare say if we look at colonialism what is striking about these regimes in Northern Africa or Southern Africa look at the devolution of the oppression or apart paid apartheid you could understand the external pressures the democratic elections in 1994 without the troops that defeated the apartheid military on the battlefield and then of course, floating in the ether with the idea the authorities did not negotiate with their opponents than the troops might not be satisfied kicking their butts but then march that helps to induce sweet reason. So back to north america now you can understand how jimcrow system was forced province north america from that situation with the alliance of the leftwing forces and to paul robeson was the exemplar of that kind of movement in the paid a very heavy price. And then they yielded to the people will pressure he immediately left and returned to london if you want to understand his attraction to use socialism look to london instead of moscow. He was very close to wrestling those forces even though he reportedly told the investigating authorities and i speculate it was close to the british communist and then returns to london and also to travel throughout europe. To say that he overdoes it and then to an ador