Editing Peekskill riots (section)

===Reactions in the U.S. House of Representatives===
[[File:John E. Rankin (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Representative [[John E. Rankin]] in 1938]]
Following the Peekskill riots, Democratic House Representative [[John E. Rankin]] of Mississippi condemned Robeson on the house floor. When New York Congressman [[Jacob Javits]], a liberal Republican, spoke to the [[United States House of Representatives]], deploring the Peekskill riots as a violation of constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and free assembly,<ref name="Duberman, Martin 1989, p. 373">Duberman, Martin. ''Paul Robeson'', 1989, Peekskill, p. 373.</ref> Rankin replied angrily: "It was not surprising to hear the gentlemen from New York defend the Communist enclave." Rankin said that he wanted it known that the American people are not in sympathy "with that [[Nigger]] Communist and that bunch of Reds who went up there."<ref name="Duberman, Martin 1989, p. 373"/> On a point of order, [[American Labor Party]] House Representative [[Vito Marcantonio]] protested to House Speaker [[Sam Rayburn]] that "the gentlemen<!--plural?--> from Mississippi used the word 'nigger.' I ask that the word be taken down and stricken from the RECORD inasmuch as there are two members in this house of Negro race." Rayburn claimed that Rankin had not said "nigger" but "Negro" but Rankin yelled over him saying "I said Niggra! Just as I have said since I have been able to talk and shall continue to say."<ref>United States Congressional Record, September 21, 1949, p. 13375,</ref> Speaker Rayburn then defended Rankin, ruling that "the gentlemen<!--plural?--> from Mississippi is not subject to a point of order...referred to the Negro race and they should not be afraid of that designation."<ref name="United States Congressional Record 1949">United States Congressional Record, September 21, 1949, p. 13375</ref> Then Democratic Representative [[Edward E. Cox]] of Georgia denounced Robeson on the House floor as a "Communist agent provocateur."<ref name="United States Congressional Record 1949"/>