Paul Robeson was a celebrated African American singer, actor, and activist whose outspoken criticism of racism and support for socialism led to him being blacklisted and ostracized by the US in 1950.
Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, to Reverend William Drew Robeson, a former enslaved man of Igbo descent, and Maria Louisa Bustill, who came from a prominent Quaker family of mixed ancestry. His father’s escape from slavery and rise to become a minister deeply shaped Robeson’s worldview.
From his earliest days, Robeson exhibited extraordinary gifts. At Rutgers University, he became only the third African American student in the school’s history. Despite the rampant racism, he thrived, earning 15 varsity letters, two-time All-American honors in football, membership in Phi Beta Kappa, and graduating as class valedictorian in 1919. He went on to earn a law degree from Columbia University, further showcasing his academic brilliance.
Robeson initially practiced law but abandoned the profession due to racism, turning instead to acting and singing.
Robeson’s decision to enter the world of performance would transform American cultural life. His deep, resonant voice and commanding stage presence captivated audiences around the globe. In 1925, he made his theatrical breakthrough in The Emperor Jones in London. Five years later, he became the first Black actor since Ira Aldridge to play Othello on a major English stage. When he brought the role to Broadway in 1943, the production ran for 296 performances, a record still unbeaten for any Shakespeare play in the U.S.
His film roles, including The Emperor Jones (1933) and Show Boat (1936), further expanded his reach.
As a musician and actor, Robeson traveled extensively, and his experiences abroad opened his eyes to the brutal realities of colonialism and fascism. During a visit to the Soviet Union in 1934, he was struck by the absence of racial discrimination and remarked, “Here, for the first time, I walk in full human dignity.” This moment marked a turning point in his political awakening. Robeson became a passionate advocate for socialism, anti-colonial movements, and workers’ rights.
Following World War II, Robeson intensified his activism. He linked the Black freedom struggle in the U.S. with anti-colonial movements in Africa and Asia, chairing the Council on African Affairs and advocating for independence and equality across the globe. In 1946, he founded the American Crusade Against Lynching, leading a delegation to the White House to demand federal anti-lynching legislation. When President Truman dismissed their concerns, Robeson told him bluntly that Black Americans would defend themselves if the government would not.
But it was his outspokenness during the Cold War that brought the full weight of the U.S. government against him. At the 1949 Paris Peace Congress, Robeson questioned why African Americans should fight against the Soviet Union when they remained second-class citizens at home. Though his remarks were misquoted by the Associated Press, the backlash was immediate and brutal. He was branded a Communist sympathizer, blacklisted from the entertainment industry, and had his passport revoked by the State Department, cutting him off from his international audience for eight years.
In the infamous 1949 Peekskill Riots, white supremacists violently attacked attendees at one of his concerts in New York. Police stood by as mobs threw rocks and overturned cars. Still, Robeson refused to back down. When called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956, he stood firm, invoking the Fifth Amendment but delivering one of the most boldest statements in the committee’s history: “My father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here and have a part of it just like you.”
In 1958, Robeson published his book, Here I Stand, in which he outlined his political beliefs and life story. Despite its powerful message, the book was largely ignored in the United States due to the government’s ongoing efforts to suppress his voice. Major newspapers refused to review it or even list its publication. The New York Times and Herald-Tribune pretended the book didn’t exist, while Black newspapers like the Baltimore Afro-American became its lone champions.
After regaining his passport in June of 1958, Robeson resumed his international tours, performing across Europe and the Soviet Union. In October 1960, during a two-month concert tour of Australia, he became increasingly aware of the injustices faced by Aboriginal Australians. Deeply moved, Robeson publicly condemned their treatment and demanded that the Australian government grant them full citizenship and equal rights. Rejecting the racist notion that they were inferior or uncultured, he declared, “There’s no such thing as a backward human being, only a society that says they are.”
Robeson’s solidarity with Aboriginal Australians was a continuation of his lifelong commitment to global justice. Robeson used his international platform not just to entertain, but to expose injustice wherever he encountered it.
By the early 1960s, however, the years of constant surveillance, isolation, and political attacks had begun to wear heavily on his health. Though he remained deeply committed to the causes he championed, Robeson increasingly withdrew from public life. In 1961, during a stay in Moscow, he suffered a serious mental and physical breakdown. He returned to the U.S. later that year and spent much of his remaining life in seclusion, cared for by close family.
Paul Robeson passed away on January 23, 1976, in Philadelphia. His death marked the end of a life lived with rare conviction. Though he was blacklisted, and ostracized, he never betrayed his beliefs.
Today, Paul Robeson is rightfully remembered not just as a legendary performer, but as a warrior for human dignity who sacrificed fame for justice. In New Jersey, where he was born, April 9 is officially recognized as Paul Robeson Day. The bill, sponsored by state senators Shirley K. Turner and Andrew Zwicker, designates the date each year to celebrate Robeson’s extraordinary life as an actor and singer who boldly championed civil rights and social justice.
Sources:
https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/paul-robeson
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/peekskill-riot-1949/
https://dbpedia.org/page/American_Crusade_Against_Lynching
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/paul-robeson-s-here-i-stand-the-book-they-could-not-ban/
