You want to shut up every Negro who has the courage to stand up and fight for the rights of his people, for the rights of workers, and I have been on many a picket line for the steelworkers too.

As an artist I come to sing, but as a citizen, I will always speak for peace, and no one can silence me in this.

In fact, because of this deep desire for peace, the ruling class leaders of this land, from 1945 on, stepped up the hysteria and propaganda to drive into American minds the false notion that danger threatened them from the East.

I know that if the peace movement takes its message boldly to the Negro people a powerful force can be secured in pursuit of the greatest goal of all mankind. And the same is true of labor and the great democratic sections of our population.

I said it was my feeling that the American people would struggle for peace, and that has since been underscored by the President of these United States.

Like any other people, like fathers, mothers, sons and daughters in every land, when the issue of peace or war has been put squarely to the American people, they have registered for peace.

Yes, peace can and must be won, to save the world from the terrible destruction of World War III.

But the deep desire for peace remained with the American people.

Through the years I have received my share of recognition for efforts in the fields of sports, the arts, the struggle for full citizenship for the Negro people, labor's rights and the fight for peace.

We must join with the tens of millions all over the world who see in peace our most sacred responsibility.