Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson (1898-1976), American singer, actor, athlete, and civil rights activist. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 9, 1898. At Rutgers University he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the first black All-American football player; he also graduated from Columbia University law school.

As an actor, he scored his first major successes in New York in 1924, appearing in All God's Chillun Got Wings and The Emperor Jones, both by Eugene O'Neill. His first vocal recital was in 1925 in New York. A bass-baritone noted for the rich lyric vibrancy of his voice, Robeson became one of the most popular concert artists of his day. At the same time, he continued to be a major actor, appearing on the stage in Black Boy (1926) and Porgy (1928). Critics applauded his performance of Shakespeare's Othello. He also appeared in 11 films, notably Show Boat (1936, based on the musical by Jerome Kern), in which his singing of “Ol' Man River” was a highlight.

Robeson lived in Europe from 1928 until 1939; he became an outspoken friend of the Soviet Union. During the 1950s, his refusal to sign a loyalty oath, his acceptance of the 1952 Stalin Peace Prize, and his advocacy of equal rights for American blacks made him one of the many targets of the right-wing purges of American public life then being conducted by Joseph McCarthy. This episode sent his career into decline, and his US passport was revoked for a time. Robeson lived his last decades in seclusion; he died in Philadelphia, on January 23, 1976. His autobiography is Here I Stand (1958).