Join us for a moving commemoration of the 1949 Peekskill Riots and a celebration of Paul Robeson, one of the most famous artists and civil rights advocates of his generation. 

 

Our program features the incredible talents of Grammy Award-winning bass baritone Mark S. Doss. Captivating songs, powerful spoken words, and stunning visuals will transport you through history. 

Opening Night Gala
Reception, Dinner, and Concert

Hollow Brook Golf Club, 1060 Oregon Road, Cortlandt Manor, NY 

September 12, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

 

Paramount Hudson Valley Theatre, 1008 Brown Street, Peekskill, NY

September 15, 2024 @ 3:00 pm
(Tickets available through the Paramount Box Office)

Our featured performer, Mark S. Doss, is a Grammy Award winning bass baritone who will take us on a journey through Robeson’s repertoire which spans religious spirituals, labor songs, musical theatre, and opera. 

 

Mark will be joined by Pegasus: The Orchestra, consisting of highly skilled musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Armenia, Japan, Brazil, Russia, and the US. 

Visuals from historical sources and eyewitness accounts will round out the story through personal experiences. 

All attendees will have an opportunity to meet and greet the performers.

This project in particular bears special significance to the Society whose mission is to promote positive change through the arts.

As an organization dedicated to forwarding the progress of artist-activists everywhere, we take deep inspiration from Paul Robeson’s life and legacy.

This momentous episode in our nation’s battle for civil rights took place in our own backyard, yet over time it has been forgotten by many. Our mission is to resurface Robeson's iconic legacy and the harrowing events known as the Peekskill Riots, for each memory carries profound lessons, shaping both today and tomorrow.

This project is a collaborative effort between artists, historians, and the local community.

You can make a difference by helping us cover artist fees and hall rentals, which helps ensure equitable access to the Paramount Community performance by enabling discounted admission and providing 200 comp tickets for low-income families. 

All Gala proceeds will be used to establish the Robeson-in-Peekskill foundation which will promote positive change in our communities through the work of artists. The goal of the foundation is to create a shared common knowledge of this history through annual events, educational outreach, and eventually a visible permanent memorial. 

Inspired by the legacy of Paul Robeson a scholar’s program in Robeson’s name will inspire tomorrow's change-makers and provide financial support for students pursuing interdisciplinary careers in social justice.

Our goal is to celebrate Robeson’s contributions to the civil rights movement, illuminate this important episode in our local history, and inspire future change-makers. 

These events will bring people of all ages, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds from Peekskill and the surrounding towns into one space together for an inspirational opportunity to connect with our history, share ideas, and experience an amazing performance. 

Our ultimate desired outcome is to foster dialogue, forge new partnerships, and inspire collaborative efforts that persist in addressing issues of social and environmental justice still present within our community.

Paul Robeson, the son of a former slave, was born in 1898. Against the tide of Jim Crow, he became an All-American Football star, graduated Valdictorian of Rutgers College (1919), became a Columbia University educated lawyer, and the first black actor to play Othello on Broadway and take a lead role in a film. A globally celebrated bass-baritone, he sang musical theater and operatic repertoire in 26 languages and brought the Negro Spiritual into opera houses worldwide. Robeson had also performed many times in Westchester County throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

A trailblazer in the civil rights movement, Robeson used his voice in speech and song in solidarity with disenfranchised people everywhere: African-Americans and working classes of all backgrounds both at home and abroad.

Targeted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, he lost his passport, career, and health - but never his loyalty to his convictions. On August 27, 1949, a planned (but postponed) concert by Robeson at Lakeland Acres in Peekskill, NY (now Hollow Brook Golf Club in Cortlandt Manor) was met with a violent mob that swelled to many hundreds. Undeterred, Robeson rescheduled the concert on near what is now Blue Jay Estates in Cortlandt Manor. The mob came again equipped for violence and attacked the estimated 20,000 concertgoers as they left the grounds. Hundreds were seriously injured.

 
Historically known as the "Peekskill Riots", the violence was ignited by racism, antisemitism, and a deeply rooted distrust between rural and urban communities. Many of the concert organizers and attendees were residents of left-wing summer colonies then popular in Northern Westchester and Putnam Valley. The start of the Cold War had elevated tensions between them and other area residents.

 

Within a few days after the concert, hundreds of editorials and letters appeared in newspapers across the nation and abroad by prominent individuals, organizations, trade unions, churches and others. They condemned the attacks and the failure of the police to protect the concert-goers. Despite condemnation from progressives and civil rights activists, the mainstream press and local officials overwhelmingly blamed Robeson and his fans for "provoking" the violence.

The Peekskill Riots marked the beginning of a character assassination. In 1950, the U.S. State Department revoked Robeson’s passport, severely restricting his ability to travel internationally for performances and activism. This action was part of broader efforts to silence Robeson and other activists during the McCarthy era, characterized by intense anti-communist sentiment and repression of leftist voices.

As a result of losing his passport, Robeson's career suffered significantly. He was unable to perform in many countries where he had previously been celebrated, cutting off a crucial source of income and platform for his activism. Despite these challenges, Robeson continued to advocate for civil rights and social justice within the United States until his health declined in later years.