Paul Robeson (1898–1976)

Paul Robeson was one of the most dynamic characters in the twentieth century, but is often forgotten today. A pastor’s son, he grew to be a unanimous All-American defensive end at Rutgers, an award-winning scholar, a law student, a stage actor, a musical artist, a polyglot, and a film actor – all in the first forty years of his life and all despite a strong culture of racism in his home country. The second half of his life was shackled in a brutal political fight against a racist American system. Civil rights leaders in the 1960s credited him with inspiring them in “the movement.” In this biography, his son provides us with an intimate look at the first half of his life.

Robeson’s early life and life at Rutgers are well-chronicled here, in a way only a family member can. The abject racism – even in New Jersey – is told through personal stories, presumably passed in family lore. Here, we can observe the elder Robeson’s courage and determination. With his father William’s encouragement, the elder Paul attempted to be the “model Negro.” His magnificent voice and acting skills took him to England for a decade. He was able to travel Europe and North Africa. Notably, he encountered a much less racist but more classist society in Britain along with fascism while traveling in 1930s Germany for the first time. To him, fascism was a cousin (if not closer) to racism and became a lifelong enemy.

The backstories of two life challenges are described here, too. First, the elder Robeson often sided with communism over fascism in his political stances, much to the chagrin of American conservatives. This tendency provided official trouble in America during the Red Scare after World War II. The younger Robeson explains this as fundamentally an anti-fascist attitude. Like MLK, he saw that communism contained a successful critique of the American racist structure. Alongside his father, his son maintains his family’s essential patriotism for America, including the criticisms. Second, the son describes early difficulties of his father’s marriage with Essie in detail. These accounts make an eminent figure like Paul Robeson to appear much more human, much more like us.

Paul Robeson is sadly a name often forgotten today. We acknowledge the Martin Luther Kings, the Rosa Parks, the Septima Clarks, and the John Lewises much, all with mettle made in the late 1950s and 1960s. The excellence of Paul Robeson taught these leaders, in prior years while younger, of the feasibility of American equality. If Paul could be a world-renowned figure, then American culture could learn to change. If Paul could maintain his faith and integrity while protesting against American racism, so could they. Future generations deserve to hear Paul Robeson’s story, told here with intimate access.… (more)

In the middle of the twentieth century, Paul Robeson was considered the most well-known American in the world. He was a famous singer, football player, and polymath/scholar who advocated for universal equal rights, especially at home in America. However, during the 1950s, he made a statement supportive of the USSR, and he was blacklisted by the US State Department in the Red Scare. Subsequently, he was denied a passport, essential for an international showman. Eventually, this practice was ruled unconstitutional, but Robeson lost key years in his professional life.

With his income slashed from around $100,000 per year to a few thousand dollars per year, Robeson wrote this autobiography to explain himself to the public. He talks about his upbringing as a Presbyterian pastor’s son of a freed enslaved father in Princeton, New Jersey. He shows the nature of his deep faith, its roots in education, and his desire for racial equality. He talks about how he bonded with the white working class in England and criticizes 1950s black civil rights leaders as being too self-interested. He portrays himself as a man of character and integrity.

Most interestingly, he explains his political leanings towards communism and socialism. Although many today object to these views, he reminds us that democratic American at the time tolerated Jim Crow laws. Indeed, the Soviet Union offered more racial equality than much of the United States at the time. He still laudably maintains his allegiance to America because his family helped build this country. Of course, in assessing the Soviet Union, he omits mentioning Stalin’s pogroms and other human rights abuses. This notable shortcoming might explain why he is not much remembered today.

Paul Robeson helped inspire the generation of civil rights leaders in the 1960s movement, people like John Lewis. We now have the perspective of the fall of communism, but it’s worth reading this autobiography to understand the diversity of opinions during this age interacting with race. Much like racial progress today, the struggle isn’t always linear and obvious. Characters like Robeson demonstrate that genius can occur in every skin tone, and so can noble suffering.… (more)

1-1 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 2:45
1-2 Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day 3:11
1-3 Lazy Bones 3:16
1-4 Deep River 2:20
1-5 St. Louis Blues 3:25
1-6 Song Of The Volga Boatman 2:40
1-7 Carry Me Back To Green Pastures 2:50
1-8 The Lonesome Road 2:38
1-9 Got The South In My Soul 2:55
1-10 Mary Had A Little Baby, Yes Lord 2:30
1-11 River, Stay 'Way From My Door 3:21
1-12 Shortnin' Bread 1:06
1-13 Solitude 3:26
1-14 Shenandoah 3:09
1-15 High Water 2:29
1-16 Wagon Wheels 3:18
1-17 Hush-A-Bye Lullaby 3:11
1-18 Snowball 3:12
1-19 I Ain't Lazy, I'm Just Dreamin' 2:42
1-20 So Shy 3:15… (more)