13 Days in Peekskill: Paul Robeson, the 1949 Riots, and Their Legacy in Today’s America

A fast-paced narrative history of an emblematic riot with elements relevant today, such as civil rights, communism, and Black and Jewish unity.

On August 27, 1949, local protesters—many of whom were World War II veterans—and attendees at a Paul Robeson concert in Peekskill, New York, clashed. Protesters threw rocks, shouted slurs, and overturned cars. In response, the concert was canceled and rescheduled for a week later. This time, both the audience and the protest were much larger. More than 140 people were injured in the seven-hour-long melee. Protesters blamed Robeson’s well-publicized communist sympathies for the riots, while attendees claimed it was racial and antisemitic discrimination. 

Author Matthew L. Schuerman blends urgent historical narrative with archival first-person accounts, exclusive interviews with riot attendees, and contemporary introspection. The Peekskill Riots are little known today, yet they marked the beginning of the decline of Paul Robeson’s storied entertainment career. And they are worth remembering, now more than ever, especially when compared to conflicts such as the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA, or the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, or even armed conflicts with ICE across the country. They remind us of a time when Black and Jewish people formed a powerful alliance in the name of social justice. And they played a pivotal role in steering the civil rights movement away from leftist politics and toward the Black church. 

Praise for Newcomers

“Approaches a thorny and politically charged topic with nuance, resulting in an insightful, thorough portrait.” —Foreword Reviews

“Schuerman combines measured academic research with informal reportage. The effect is thorough, yet intimate.” —Times Literary Supplement