As we continue to celebrate Black History in February—and every month of the year—individuals like Paul Leroy Robeson, a notable bass-baritone Black actor and activist, is one of many people to know and celebrate about. His contributions, from promoting African and African-American history and culture in theatre to activism during segregation in the U.S., have earned him much admiration and criticism.
Robeson with other Class of 1919 Cap and Skull society members at Rutgers University. Photo courtesy Rutgers University Archives. Source: Smithsonian Magazine.
Robeson was born on April 9, 1989, in Princeton, NJ. His father was a former slave and his mother came from a prominent abolitionist Quaker family. At the age of 17, Robeson received a four-year academic scholarship to attend Rutgers University. There, he excelled in both sports and in academics, earning nearly fifteen varsity letters in various sports while also graduating as valedictorian.
Robeson went on to attend Columbia Law School and worked at a law firm to help pay for his law degree. Due to racial profiling issues at the law firm, his law career was cut short. As a result of the abrupt end to law practice in 1923, Robeson rediscovered his passion for the arts, took part in dramas, movies, and singing.
Robeson began his acting career in Harlem YMCA’s production of Simon the Cyrenian and then in various Broadway productions such as Taboo and Othello. His role in Othello was the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history, “running for nearly three hundred performances” and considered one of “the great-American Shakespeare productions.” In 1944, he won the Donaldson Award for Best Acting Performance for his role in Othello. He is most well-known for his rendition of the Showboat song, ‘Ole Man River,’ changing the lyrics to a declaration of resistance: “I must keep fightin’ until I’m dying.” The song made top 100 songs in American cinema. Till the 1940s, he also acted in numerous films such as Body and Soul, Jericho, and Proud Valley.
1942, Photograph of Paul Robeson Leading Moore Shipyard Workers in Singing the Star Spangled Banner. Oakland, CA. Photo courtesy of National Archives. Source:
As he began to be more well-known internationally, Robeson began to use his fame to fight for many social movements and noticed differences in how he was treated as a star abroad and at home. He had a belief that prominent figures have a responsibility to fight for justice and peace. He became a cultural leader against fascism, earning respect from many prominent personalities like W.E.B Du Bois, former Indian Prime Minister Jehrwal Nehru, and Eleanor Roosevelt. In one of his theater performances in 1933, All God’s Chillun, Robeson donated his proceeds from the show to Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler’s Germany. When in London, Robeson noticed that he was not treated by the harassment at his performances and shows like he would in New York and rather brought the “audience to its feet with cheers for twelve encores.” During his visit to USSR in 1934, he found that he was treated better there than in the U.S., proclaiming, “here, I am not a Negro but a human being for the first time in my life. … I walk in full human dignity,” to reporters about his experience in Russia.
Due to his pro-Soviet stance and activism, the 1940s brought him to the political forefront. Robeson became the target of many violent attacks and intimidation in the U.S., especially during the Red Scare. During his Peekshill, NY concert in 1949, many rioters “smashed the stage, torched chairs, attacked concertgoers, and threatened Robeson’s life.” He became one of the founding members of the independent political party known as the Progressives. His involvements led him to be blacklisted by the U.S. government. In 1950, his passport was revoked, preventing travel abroad for concerts that paid for much of his livelihood. It was only after 1958 that his passport was reinstated.
He was able to hold a celebratory sold-out concert in Carnegie Hall, but the negative publicity and virtual disappearance of Robeson’s accomplishments in history took a huge toll on his health and career. He faced several bouts of depression and was admitted to continuous shock treatments. He was also misdiagnosed several times for a variety of physical and psychological problems.
1943, Editorial Drawing of Paul Robeson by artist, Charles H. Alston. Photo courtesy of National Archives.
Even though he was recognized as “Man of the Year” in 1950 by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, his history is largely ignored in present discourse about individual freedom and national security. In 1995, Rutgers posthumously inducted him into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Hoboken Museum honored Robeson on February 9, in one of many celebrations done for Black History Month. This event was co-led by Teaching Assistant Professor Dr. Lindsay Swindall and activist and actor Grant Cooper. Both told stories of Robeson using “photos, dramatic readings, discussion, and music.”
For those interested in celebrating more of Robeson’s history:
Paul Robeson sings to Scottish miners (1949)
Paul Robeson – Ol’ Man River (Showboat – 1936) J.Kern O. Hammerstein II
Paul Robeson: On colonialism, African-American rights (Spotlight, ABC,1960)
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