Pete Seeger and the House of Un-American Activities Committee 1955

Now I guess I should say from the outset I’m not Pete Seeger’s biggest fan. The folkie schtick is remarkably po faced and has a kind of ego that is laughable. It took me a long time to get it. Woody Guthrie I get, his son Arlo I get, the jumper wearing sandal wearing Van Ronk style folk club scene is a schtick a routine and nothing more. It is faux!

Bob Dylan left them standing in his post electric dust soon enough axe wielding Seeger or no.

I could go on but what I will say is Pete’s politics are stand up and be counted stuff and this story re-enforces the highest regard I have for his attitude to the House of Un-American Activities Committee fascist approach to “communism” so called, the pinko under the bed has taken a WHOLE other turn since Drumpf!

This is however worth reading . . . . . . . .

On 18 August 1955 Pete Seeger testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

Seeger refused to take the Fifth Amendment, but also refused to acknowledge the right of the Committee to ask him questions about his political affiliations, or the names of other people.

“I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my  philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I  voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these  are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially  under such compulsion as this. I would be very glad to tell you my life if you want to hear of it,” Seeger said.

“I feel that in my whole life I have never done anything of any  conspiratorial nature and I resent very much and very deeply the  implication of being called before this Committee that in some way  because my opinions may be different from yours, or yours, Mr. Willis [D-LA],  or yours, Mr. Scherer [R-OH], that I am any less of an American than anybody else. I love my country very deeply, sir.”

CHAIRMAN FRANCIS E. WALTER [D-PA]: Why don’t you make a little contribution toward preserving its institutions?

MR. SEEGER: I feel that my whole life is a contribution. That is why I would like to tell you about it.

CHAIRMAN WALTER: I don’t want to hear about it.

The committee then tried to question Seeger about where he performed, and if he ever performed, citing Elia Kazan’s testimony regarding the Communist Party’s wish to have American entertainers perform for them. Seeger replied, “I feel these questions are improper, sir, and I feel they are immoral to ask any American this kind of question… .  I have sung for Americans of every political persuasion, and I am proud that I never refuse to sing to an audience, no matter what religion or colour of their skin, or situation in life. I have sung in hobo jungles and I have sung for the Rockefellers, and I am proud that I have never refused to sing for anybody. That is the only answer I can give along  that line.”

Pete Seeger was found guilty of contempt of Congress (and faced 10 years in prison) but  successfully appealed his case, which was overturned in 1962. Seeger was also blacklisted – his songs not played on the radio and he could not appear on TV – for 17 years.