Even though many of his efforts have not been recognized fully, the books of History show that Paul Robeson was an essential member of society, and his activism helped change people’s perspectives and make the world a better place to live. Paul Robeson pursued so many careers in his lifetime, including law, which he practiced briefly, a football career, and he also made it as a concert artist. He was also a stage and film actor and played roles in many significant films celebrated today. However, what made Robeson famous was his political stances and cultural establishments, which he achieved as an activist. Paul Robeson showed interest in politics when he was young at Rutgers University. He was a member of the ‘talented tenth’ movement of African Americans who had made it in education and their professions, an idea of W.E.B Du Bois (Rafei, 2021). He believed that realizing his potential would inspire other African Americans the same. Robeson became a committed activist by 1946 when racial segregation, lynching, and racist voting regulations were being practiced with impunity. Robeson claimed that American wealth had been built off the backs of millions of Africans, and, therefore, they had every right and were equal to the white people. Robeson’s efforts in activism and as an artist against racism were significant and inspirational. His work is an inspiration to those who are fighting for equality today, and it has contributed to the advancement of civil rights.
Paul Robeson was born in 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey, to a reverend and mother from a strong Quaker family. His father, William, had escaped plantations as a teen and became a minister in the Presbyterian church in 1881. He would, however, lose his position in 1900 in apparent racism because white financial supporters were against him. He would later resign from his position in 1901 even though he had the full backing of his black congregation. Robeson’s mother died in a fire when he was only six, and his father would soon be unable to provide for his family, so they moved to Westfield, New Jersey. In 1912, Robeson became a Somerville High School student and excelled in several fields. In athletics, he excelled in baseball, track, basketball, and football, success that exposed him to racial taunts, but he ignored them. He sang in various choruses and performed Othello and Julius Caesar at the university (Strother). He won a statewide contest for a scholarship and went to Rutgers University. At Rutgers University, where he studied from 1915 to 1919, he took part in various activities, including the football team, where he was met with challenges. He continued exploring his talents, such as singing and joining other athletic teams. Racism was at its peak then, and at some point, a team refused to take the field in a football game because Rutgers had fielded him. He had a successful junior year at Rutgers and was even recognized by the Crisis for his talents, but his father soon became very ill and died. At this point, Robeson recognized the inconsistency in African Americans having to fight for the country in the First World War. Yet, they would not have the same opportunities as their white counterparts. Robeson studied at the New York Law School briefly but had to move to Columbia Law School later because he felt uncomfortable (Durst). During this period, he met and began dating Eslanda Goode, who would later become his wife. At the same time, while studying law, he was recruited to play for the Akron Pros and took various roles in theatre. After finishing his studies, he worked as a lawyer briefly but left his career due to racism. He purely focused on theatre to show the issues black people faced. He had marriage difficulties but moved forward, and it was after 1933 that he fully embraced activism.
After Robeson had stopped his career in law, he went into theatre, and in this place, he used the rich bass voice that he had to denounce the evils that were taking place in society, including injustice. The multiple tours that he had taken in the course of his acting career opened his mind to the oppression that black people were going through, and he had to use the tools that he had at his disposal to fight the injustice. Most of his performances called upon equality, independence, and freedom for all people in the world. He also called upon his fellow artists to use their exposure and voice to fight against the evils happening around the world and in their own country. Robeson’s performances, such as his interpretation of Othello that challenges racial prejudices, demonstrate his use of art as a means of activism (Rudahl. 59). These ideas made Robeson go around the world fighting inequalities. One of the trips he took that might have been the turning point in his life, and his role as an activist was to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. He used his concerts in 1937 to pass across a message of the republican cause and the refugees of the war. He completely changed his rendition of “Ol’ Man River” and altered the stereotypical dialect to some standard English lyrics (Hess). The song was transformed from a tragic song that suggested resignation to a classic hymn showing unwavering defiance. Robeson’s political activism, particularly his advocacy for labor rights, is highlighted in the graphic biography (Rudahl. 99). He traveled to several African countries that were colonies during that time to boost their calls for freedom. He also met Nehru in England to advocate for Indian independence. On his trip to Spain, he visited the hospital in Benicassim, where he sang to wounded soldiers because he believed in the International Brigade’s cause. Robeson changed the course of his career and decided that he was not only going to focus on black people but all the ‘common people.’ He landed his first role as an Irish man in Plant in the Sun. He also went to London to fight for Labor rights and visited the Soviet Union to fight antifascism. Even though his career came to a demise due to negative responses from the public and the ban imposed on him by the U.S., he continued his movement with determination. He opened ways for people who fight for equality today and showed people that they have a tool in their hands and can use it to bring positive change in society.
Robeson’s career was not as easy as it may seem as he faced many challenges for being against some policies that white people had set to favor themselves and had little positive effect on other races. One of Robeson’s most significant challenges in his career was racism. Even back at Rutgers University, a team refused to get into the pitch because he had been fielded. This was only the beginning because later on, he would face much-modified racism. His career in racism was cut short because a secretary refused to take his dictations just because he was black (Giovanetti). After the end of his career, Robeson decided to use his artistic voice to fight for people’s rights, and it was not a rollercoaster either. When his theatre performances became known and widely accepted, some bans were imposed on him. He was outspoken and claimed that an artist must take sides and stand for freedom and equality. Although his influence became recognized abroad, he was faced with racism, dissent, and discrimination in the United States (Childers). An instance is when rioters threatened his life, attacked people, torched chairs, and smashed the stage at his concert in Peekskill, New York, in 1949. His stance on human rights and affiliation with the Soviet Union made him a prime target of anti-communist militants. The State Department revoked his passport in 1950, which meant he would not be able to trouble and consequently would not be able to earn income abroad. Despite being blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Robeson continued to be an activist, and Rudahl highlights his resilience in the face of hardship (Rudahl. 106). Even though there were various attempts to fight this injustice, there was no positive response, yet Robeson refused to swear that he was not a communist. In front of the department, he said that whether he was communist or not communist was irrelevant because all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, are supposed to enjoy equal rights. One of the lessons that we can learn from Robeson is determination. Even though he was a person of color, Robeson believed that it would not be a reason for failure, and it ultimately became a source of inspiration for his success. Another essential thing that Robeson taught us is that we must take a stand. Robeson took a stand to fight inequality even though he knew it could quickly negatively impact his career. He stood for the right thing even when his source of livelihood was taken away from him and stood for equality, even though he could have said that he was not communist. He also used his career not just for entertainment but also for fighting inequality.
In conclusion, Paul Robeson is one of the most significant people in the fight for equality and advancement of civil rights in the United States. Robeson is the perfect example of endurance, even though there are challenges. Even though his mother and father died when he was young, he was able to overcome the problems that he faced to become an influence on society. Robeson was determined since the days that he won a statewide scholarship to Rutgers University. Even though he wanted a career in law, the fact that he dropped it underscores his uncompromising nature. Robeson used his talent well to fight against racism, and even though anti-communists might have targeted him, his influence was already enough in society. His passport was revoked, and he refused to swear that he was not a communist because that would mean that political affiliation played a role in the way people are treated in the country. Robeson’s influence goes past the boundaries of the United States. Robeson is an icon in the world and has helped lay a foundation in the fight for equality during his lifetime. Robeson is an inspiration that people can achieve what they want regardless of factors such as race and political affiliation.
Works Cited
Childers, Jodie. “Performing Dissent: Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson before HUAC (1955-1956).” Transatlantica, no. 2, Nov. 2021, https://doi.org/10.4000/transatlantica.17937.
Durst, Larry. “Compromise, Commemoration and Containment of Public Memory: The Revival of Paul Robeson’s Legacy at Rutgers University, 1966–1975.” History & Memory, vol. 32, no. 2, 2020, pp. 3–35, muse.jhu.edu/pub/3/article/763945/summary. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
Giovanetti, Hannah. “Voice of the Movement: Examining Paul Robeson’s Revolutionary Intellectualism 1950-1953, 1955 – ProQuest.” Www.proquest.com, 2021, search.proquest.com/openview/8851add28f4be4b76fc22be9b18b61c7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y.
Hess, Carol A. “‘Ol’ Man River’ at the Front: Paul Robeson, Music, and Blackness in Republican Spain.” Journal of War & Culture Studies, vol. 14, no. 4, Aug. 2021, pp. 372–89, https://doi.org/10.1080/17526272.2021.1950957.
Rudahl, Sharon. Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson. Rutgers UP, 2020.
Strother, Brett. “Say His Name: Othello, Paul Robeson, and Racism in America.” Undergraduate Honors Theses, May 2023, dc.etsu.edu/honors/770/.
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