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Paul Leroy Bustill Robeson was born April 9, 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, and died December 23, 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was equipped with the principles, pride, and courage he needed to confront and surmount the racial barriers and racist treatment he received as a black renaissance man. In spite of the racism at Rutgers University at the time he attended, he earned a Phi Beta Kappa key, varsity letters in four sports, became first All-American in football, and graduated valedictorian. At Columbia University, he earned a degree in law; however, racism in the profession caused him to switch to the stage. His career flourished even though there were limited roles for black actors. He began to sing spirituals and work songs that reflected both the common man and the universal brotherhood of man. His travels led him to associate with a variety of organizations and ideologies. The 1930s saw him visiting the Soviet Union, an experience that marked a turning point in his life. He began to support communism and speak out against racism. However, Robeson’s desire was to change America, not leave it. Thus, he led a delegation to Washington, D.C., as a part of the Anti-Lynching Crusade, urged Congress to lift the racial barriers in baseball, and was a founding member of the Progressive Party because he wanted to challenge the existing parties in the presidential election. Robeson’s stances and rhetoric in the face of racism caused his concerts to be cancelled and his passport to be revoked.

Paul Robeson (Fisk University).

Helen R. Houston