Paul Robeson
Born: April 9, 1898 (Princeton, NJ)
Died: January 23, 1976 (Philadelphia, PA)
Biography
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and his political stances.
Fueled by the misrepresentation of a speech the actor made at the U.S.S.R-backed Paris Peace Conference in the late 1940s, Robeson was labeled a communist and was staunchly criticized by government officials as well as some African American leaders. He was ultimately barred by the State Department from renewing his passport in 1950 to travel abroad for engagements. Despite his immense popularity, he was blacklisted from domestic concert venues, recording labels and film studios and suffered financially. In 1958, Robeson published his autobiography, Here I Stand, and won the right to have his passport reinstated. He again traveled internationally and received a number of accolades for his work, but damage had been done, as he experienced debilitating depression and related health problems. Robeson and his family returned to the United States in 1963 and died from a stroke on January 23, 1976, at the age of 77, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
