Also American

Person · 1898–1976

Paul Robeson

The towering singer, actor, athlete, and activist whose art and politics made him a global figure — and a target of the Red Scare.

A giant of [[black-stage]] and global activism.

An All-American athlete and Columbia-trained lawyer, Paul Robeson became one of the most famous performers in the world, from "Ol' Man River" to Othello. His outspoken anti-colonialism and civil-rights advocacy led the U.S. to revoke his passport — a price he paid for his principles.

Resources

The web

Connections to other moments, systems, and investigations — the links rarely drawn together.

  • documented by·Thread
    Greed — The Root

    Robeson's blacklisting shows how political and economic power were used to silence Black dissent.