What Obama Could Learn From Ella Baker and Essie Robeson in His Second Term?

To watch the full interview with Barbara Ransby on Democracy Now!, visit In a Black History Month special, we remember the lives of the legendary civil rights activist, singer and actor Paul Robeson and his wife Eslanda, whose story is not as well known. One of the most celebrated singers and actors of the 20th century, Robeson was attacked, blacklisted and hounded by the government for his political beliefs. Eslanda Robeson, known by her friends as "Essie," was an author, an anthropologist and a globally connected activist who worked to end colonialism in Africa and racism in the United States. We're joined by historian Barbara Ransby, author of the new biography, "EslandaThe Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson." She is also author of a biography on Ella Baker.

TRANSCRIPT:

AMY GOODMAN: What lessons could President Obama learn by reading these biographies, Barbara Ransby, of two political activists—

BARBARA RANSBY: That's a good question.

AMY GOODMAN: —of Ella Baker and Eslanda "Essie" Robeson?

BARBARA RANSBY: Well, you know, when you ask that question, we assume that some of the policies that President Obama has implemented that many of us on the left would disagree with are out of lack of awareness. I don't think they are, actually. I think he knows the history of Ella Baker, and I'm sure he knows the history of Paul Robeson, if not Eslanda Robeson.

I think the lessons for the rest of us are really to invest in the kind of networking, relationship building and solidarity work that defined Eslanda Robeson's career, that it's not going to be the heads of state who are going to forge a different vision of the world, but rather people who, you know, are building organizations and are stretching and making global connections independent of the nation states where our citizenship lies.

So, I think, in terms of Ella Baker's lessons, her lessons are also about building grassroots movements and not placing so much emphasis and faith and hope in a single charismatic leader. And I think many people have looked to Barack Obama as a savior—the first black president, spoke out against the war with us back when it was, you know, in the Iraqi war, and is now of course carrying out targeted assassinations and drone attacks. And, you know, it breaks my heart, but I don't think it's for absent—the absence of historical knowledge. And I do hope, in the second term, we will see much of the knowledge and insight that I think Obama has about history and about, you know, what it means to try to stand on the right side of history, even when it's difficult. I hope that will come to the fore.

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