In early 1938, Robeson traveled to the front lines in solidarity with those fighting Fascism in Spain.

‘Robeson’s Voice Rings Out Over Spain Front’ by Joseph North from The Daily Worker. Vol. 15 No. 25. January 29, 1938.

Sings for US Brigade–Amplifiers Carry Songs of Great Negro Singer Over Lines of Loyalists, Fascists–to Give Series of Concerts–Will Visit U.S. Soon

BARCELONA, Jan. 28.-Paul Robeson, famous American Negro singer, arrived in Madrid yesterday morning after singing in Bonicasim before wounded soldiers of the International Brigades.

“I help those who raise the flag of equality and fraternity among the men of all races,” he told the press. My songs are taken from the lips of those who suffer and fight in other continents for the triumph of equality.

“Spain is my second country. I sang in London for the benefit of Spain. I sang before the workers of England for the benefit of the Basque refugee children. I shall sing in Madrid tonight for the Loyalist soldiers who are in the trenches.”

BARCELONA. Jan. 28. Paul Robeson, world famous singer, told me yesterday that all who wish to see democracy triumph around the world must ally themselves to Republican Spain.

He has come here to sing his magnificent songs to the soldiers at the front and the people who are putting up such a splendid fight for liberty and wounded American volunteers in their hospital at Bonicasim on the Mediterranean, heard their favorite song Old-Man River by the great artist himself.

Robeson later sang it himself over the radio in Madrid changing the phrase “Tired of Living, Scared of Dying” to “Won’t stop fighting until I am dying.”

“Everybody who wishes equality and fraternity of all races and peoples must give whatever aid they can to the Spanish Republic,” Robeson said.

His songs, Robeson said, are derived from the lips of those men who on other continents suffer and fight for equality.

“Spain is another Fatherland for me because it recognizes no difference between races,” he said. Robeson concerts here will be transmitted to all parts of Loyalist Spain, so that his voice will reach the men in the trenches. That was his request and the Government gladly conceded to it.

“These trenches are the front lines in the fight for world democracy,” Robeson said.

Robeson’s broadcast was not advertised in advance because of a recent ruling of the War Department. The fascists have taken to bombing public places at which distinguished visitors have been announced. This happened at Valencia with British Labor deputies. Robeson is the second well known Negro figure here in several weeks John P. Davis, head of the Ameri- can Negro Congress, toured the fronts several weeks ago. We entered Teruel, together and he said then, as Robeson did today, that Republican Spain is like another homeland to him because of the complete equality here of all peoples and races.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue: https://archive.org/download/per_daily-worker_daily-worker_1938-01-29_15_25/per_daily-worker_daily-worker_1938-01-29_15_25.pdf