Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson was a left-wing, American singer and actor who became world famous for his role as Joe in the musical "Show Boat." In addition, Robeson was an All-American football player for Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey but declined a career as a professional athlete so that he could pursue a law degree at Columbia University.He received his degree in 1923, but because there were few opportunities for blacks in the law profession, Robeson turned to the theater, joining the performing group The Provincetown Players, one of whose members was writer Eugene O'Neill. In 1924 and 1925, Robeson's lead role in O'Neill's play "The Emperor Jones" won him critical acclaim in New York and London. The musical "Show Boat" also allowed Robeson to exercise his considerable talents as a singer with his rendition of "Ol' Man River." His later success as the lead role in "Othello" brought him success on both the London and Broadway stage. The Broadway production of "Othello" was the longest-running Shakespearean play on Broadway.

Robeson became increasingly aware of the political arena and took a 1934 trip to the Soviet Union, after which he developed extremely liberal viewpoints. His passport was withdrawn in 1950 by the U.S. State Department when he refused to deny membership in the Communist Party, an incident which caused Robeson to be virtually excluded from all the tasteful circles of American society, even though the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1958.