Activism
Sawyer was a lifelong activist for human rights, particularly for minorities in the world of arts. He insisted upon a substantially increased representation of minorities in the literary and screen world.
Melody Malmberg wrote in "The Outsiders" in The Weekly, Altadena, in 1984:
Despite the appearance of progress, black artists still find that the entertainment industry is a private club. Here’s why. Six people sat in the Lake Avenue Studio of the Federation for the Advancement of Minority Artists (FAMA) on a recent morning. The talk turned to their professional life. Joe Montell, executive director of FAMA, acted as host. The guests were: Josephine Toussaint, Don Davis, Joseph Taylor, Robert Earl Sawyer and Marlene Labat. Quotations by Robert E. Sawyer:
It's not a problem being black - the problem rests with the undeveloped mentality of those who are in a position to make a moral and intellectual decision about the fundamental equality of minorities. And by having this malfunction they deny the literary and screen world the right to enjoy other cultures and musical and writing geniuses. And at the other side, the lethargy of the black businessman - and the lack of support of black people - also have contributed to the demise and decimation of black talent. It seems to be an unholy union of white discrimination and black lethargy. But the problem is 'not' being black.
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