Paul Robeson was the epitome of the 20th-century Renaissance man. He was an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist. His talents made him a revered man of his time, yet his radical political beliefs all but erased him from popular history. Today, more than one hundred years after his birth, Robeson is just beginning to receive the credit he is due.
Born in 1898, Paul Robeson grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. His father had escaped slavery and become a Presbyterian minister, while his mother was from a distinguished Philadelphia family. At seventeen, he was given a scholarship to Rutgers University, where he received an unprecedented twelve major letters in four years and was his class valedictorian. After graduating he went on to Columbia University Law School, and, in the early 1920s, took a job with a New York law firm. Racial strife at the firm ended Robeson’s career as a lawyer early, but he was soon to find an appreciative home for his talents.
Returning to his love of public speaking, Robeson began to find work as an actor. In the mid-1920s he played the lead in Eugene O’Neill’s “All God’s Chillun Got Wings” (1924) and “The Emperor Jones” (1925). Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, he was a widely acclaimed actor and singer. With songs such as his trademark “Ol’ Man River,” he became one of the most popular concert singers of his time. His “Othello” was the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history, running for nearly three hundred performances. It is still considered one of the great-American Shakespeare productions. While his fame grew in the United States, he became equally well-loved internationally. He spoke fifteen languages, and performed benefits throughout the world for causes of social justice. More than any other performer of his time, he believed that the famous have a responsibility to fight for justice and peace.
As an actor, Robeson was one of the first black men to play serious roles in the primarily white American theater. He performed in a number of films as well, including a re-make of “The Emperor Jones” (1933) and “Song of Freedom” (1936). In a time of deeply entrenched racism, he continually struggled for further understanding of cultural difference. At the height of his popularity, Robeson was a national symbol and a cultural leader in the war against fascism abroad and racism at home. He was admired and befriended by both the general public and prominent personalities, including Eleanor Roosevelt, W.E.B. Du Bois, Joe Louis, Pablo Neruda, Lena Horne, and Harry Truman. While his varied talents and his outspoken defense of civil liberties brought him many admirers, it also made him enemies among conservatives trying to maintain the status quo.
During the 1940s, Robeson’s black nationalist and anti-colonialist activities brought him to the attention of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Despite his contributions as an entertainer to the Allied forces during World War II, Robeson was singled out as a major threat to American democracy. Every attempt was made to silence and discredit him, and in 1950 the persecution reached a climax when his passport was revoked. He could no longer travel abroad to perform, and his career was stifled. Of this time, Lloyd Brown, a writer and long-time colleague of Robeson, states: “Paul Robeson was the most persecuted, the most ostracized, the most condemned black man in America, then or ever.”
It was eight years before his passport was reinstated. A weary and triumphant Robeson began again to travel and give concerts in England and Australia. But the years of hardship had taken their toll. After several bouts of depression, he was admitted to a hospital in London, where he was administered continued shock treatments. When Robeson returned to the United States in 1963, he was misdiagnosed several times and treated for a variety of physical and psychological problems. Realizing that he was no longer the powerful singer or agile orator of his prime, he decided to step out of the public eye. He retired to Philadelphia and lived in self-imposed seclusion until his death in 1976.
To this day, Paul Robeson’s many accomplishments remain obscured by the propaganda of those who tirelessly dogged him throughout his life. His role in the history of civil rights and as a spokesperson for the oppressed of other nations remains relatively unknown. In 1995, more than seventy-five years after graduating from Rutgers, his athletic achievements were finally recognized with his posthumous entry into the College Football Hall of Fame. Though a handful of movies and recordings are still available, they are a sad testament to one of the greatest Americans of the twentieth century. If we are to remember Paul Robeson for anything, it should be for the courage and the dignity with which he struggled for his own personal voice and for the rights of all people.
This man was an example of how far America will go to silence anyone who has a difference of opinion, or even to think you are equal with white society. What happened to him is still happening to others, only difference is the racism is againsts any religion, race, ethnic background or political affiliation.
This article about Robeson on the PBS website glosses over the fact that Robeson undoubtedy was what Lenin would have described as a “useful idiot”. Despite all that he achieved, it is overshadowed by the fact that he was an apologist for one of the most evil regimes in History. Robeson knew about the purges and still remained a supporter of Stalin. He also knew American emigres living in the USSR were being arrested and killed but did nothing and said nothing. He was complicit in genocide.
The USA would be a better place today if it had more citizens like Paul Robeson, a truely great man. It fascinates me that America could produce a person of his talents and one that the average American would have no idea about. Yes it is easy to cherry pick his socialist opinions and actions as a negative but I think you will find that he was very consistent in his treatment of all nations and races when it came to human rights and the rights of the working man. To align him as a supporter of the attocities carried out by Stalin is a major injustice to one of the great men of the twentieth century.
He was really expiring. I have learned a lot from this man. Who ever doubts him is probably not fond of anyhting political. Maybe just maybe you just dont have a brain which just means you cont imput this wonderful information about Paul Robeson.
robeson singing praises to stalin . . . how different is that from u.s presidents singing praises of pinochet, and other dictators (including saddam hussein before he fell out of favour and chased like a rat), like suharto of indonesia, as well as fascists who killed people for fun?.
I googled Paul Robeson b/c I volunteered to do some work with the YWCA in Princeton this weekend, and the address is Paul Robeson Place. The name Paul Robeson is very familar to me b/c I live next to an Elementary school and taught in that school -Paul Robeson Elementary School. Yes, I knew about his work in the arts and an advocate, but not the other deep and interesting things about him.
I will make a commitment to read and share all I can find about this great man, Paul Robeson.
These events that happened to Mr. Robeson still exist in a round about way. In a lot of areas in America today there is still total WHITE rule. If the majority is white populated in your area the majority will win. Since beginning of this great american country the causation race invaded the native american and created the constitution along with the bill of rights only signed by his race. Enslaving the African man not education then on the same level as he was educated and now with his uncontrollable money system that is starting to slap him in the face, this great so called America is falling down hill very fast and we will ALL feel the effects of it. We always hear GOD bless America. The only time the races come together and are considered Americans is when they travel outside the US and in time of WAR, but when they walk the streets of America its like they don’t even know each other. Peace
For those who care… Paul Robeson is a wonderfull person who contributed to the advancement of the
African-American Race. So for those who say the article is B.S. You my Friend are wrong beyond compare. My advise would be to actually read and plaese for the love of everything that is good and true. “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
i found this great fan website about paul robeson http://paulrobesonhouse.com/
If racism had not stricken this great man what would he have achevied ?…Obama Status , I thought I knew his story but I did not know Graduate with 12 sports letters ,Valavictorian ,Lawyer ,Spoke 15 laungages, longest running Shakespear on Broad way….when american can make movies of gangsters (Alcapone 20 times) and not a word about this great man. if it’s not logical it is usually racial
I am 74 years old tomorrow and I remember his movies so very well, one particular scene was in the head of a canoe with his native underlings behind him, I even remember the song he sang. I missed him at the time and realize that he fell under the clean up from Communism, he had communist leanings. Such a great shame to lose the sight of such a great man.
Deeply moved!
Paul Robeson is the main reason I decided to become an educator. Being a white male knowing his incredible legacy was denied to me. It has become my mission to rebuild his role as a leader of our country especially during a time when we needed it the most and were least able to appreciate what a man we were blessed to have among us. As for Joe Stalin, he was a brutal ditator who killed millions of his own people getting his country under his control but also created enough time to prepare for Hitlers onslaught. We may not like this side of history but the Russians killed a lot more Germans than we did. In fact I’ll go on board to say he killed the cream of the crop of the German army. We fought a lot of German who had survived the Eastern front and sent west for rest and recovery. (If their is really any such thing) When the Japanese thought to attack the Russians early in their war of conquest. The Russian Siberian Army all but obliterated them and the Japanese never bothered them again. sadly many of our textbooks continue to history of lies about who we have been as Americans. Some of greatest examples of Americans we should be proud of are denied to us for a number of reasons. Mainly color or politics. Perhaps someday when we truly practice what we preach we can come together and embrace those words our founding fathers could visualize but were sadly unable to totally live up to.
Awesome!
I was raised listening to this wonderful man and can remember being told, as a child, that he had his tongue cut out because of his political beliefs. To read bout him and know this was not true, as I found out as I grew older, was great for any other fans that may have been misinformed. His singing to the workers at our Opera House in Australia shows what a great man he was and how his need to entertain far surpassed any thoughts of money.
What a wonderful man.
One of the greatest voices of the modern era. He would definitely side in solidarity with the 99%, don’t you doubt it.
LISTEN TO PAUL SING SCANDALIZE MY NAME……..that title of the song says it all
The man spoke fifteen languages. Need I say more…
Would like to have read something about his time organising the miners in Wales. A Truly fascinating and talented man, who’s heart I believe was in the right place.
When recently looking through my father’s VERY extensive music collection I came across Mr. Robeson’s album “Ballad for Americans”. Curious about a man I’d never heard of, I popped the CD into my computer and was totally blown away by the awesomeness of his voice. It was just the one album and the only reason I can think of for Dad not having more of a selection of albums is that he acquired this album quite recently himself. Wanting to find out if there were more albums available I decided to Google Mr. Robeson’s name and came across this website.
What an incredible man! I was raised to be “color/racially/ethnically blind” and tolerant of differences, to look beyond what a person is or isn’t perceived to be. I find the beauty of the spirituality of his songs – I dare anyone to listen to this album and NOT hear it – deeply moving. I eagerly look forward to finding out more about his legacy, the “good”, the “bad”, all of it. Thirteen, thank you for opening the first door to learning about Mr. Robeson. I hope you will do some follow-ups!
Robeson ne fut jamais une menace pour qui que ce soit, celui-ci est un grand homme.
Robeson posed no threat to anyone, it is a great man.
I just saw Mr. Paul Robson on Rawhide a TV western from 1964. I knew of him because of my parents, but I forgot what he looked like. What when I heard him sing that is something you never never forget. My word! What a voice!!!
It is great to learn about this fantastic human being.I am a Indian.I admire this gifted man.
the first time i heard mr. robson sing was a long time ago. but i due rember how it was sung byu him,and never to this day have i ever heard it done any better than how he didit.i would like to find a copy of that album, it was either on 78, or 33, i cant rember which.
In the 1940s, Robeson was an outspoken critic of segregation and racial discrimination in the United States, who was also a strong advocate of the Soviet Union and a member of the Communist Party USA.