"Use those talents you have. You will make it. You will give joy to the world. Take this tip from nature: The woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best." 
--Bernard Meltzer

On October 19, 1943:

"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."

-- Paul Robeson

Oct. 19, 1943: On this date, Paul Robeson opened in Othello at the Shubert Theater in N.Y. City. The show ran for 296 consecutive performances, setting a record for a Shakespearean drama on Broadway. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)