The Artist Must Elect To Fight For

Sometimes Great Injustices May Be Inflicted On The Minority When The Majority Is In The Pursuit Of A Great And Just Cause.

When I Sang My American Folk Melodies In Budapest, Prague, Tiflis, Moscow, Oslo, Or The Hebrides Or On The Spanish Front, The People Understood And Wept Or Rejoiced With The Spirit Of The Songs. I Found That Where Forces Have Been The Same, Whether People Weave, Build, Pick Cotton, Or Dig In The Mine, They Understand Each Other In The Common Language Of Work, Suffering, And Protest.

I Shall Take My Voice Wherever There Are Those Who Want To Hear The Melody Of Freedom Or The Words That Might Inspire Hope And Courage In The Face Of Fear. My Weapons Are Peaceful, For It Is Only By Peace That Peace Can Be Attained. The Song Of Freedom Must Prevail.

The Patter Of Their Feet As They Walk Through Jim Crow Barriers To Attend School Is The Thunder Of The Marching Men Of Joshua, And The World Rocks Beneath Their Tread.

The Talents Of An Artist, Small Or Large, Are God-given... They Are A Sacred Trust.