Happy Birthday Paul Robeson
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“As an artist I come to sing, but as a citizen, I will always speak for peace, and no one can silence me in this… I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope and courage in the face of fear.”
- Paul Robeson
Born April 9, 1898, Paul Leroy Robeson was the youngest of five children. His father had escaped slavery and the injustices of that backdrop continued in the years Paul was born and raised – segregation, lynching and virulent racism. It makes it all the more remarkable that Paul earned a full scholarship to Rutgers University, only the third African-American to attend this prestigious institution. At Rutgers, he earned 14-varsity letters in four sports, football (where he was an All American), baseball, basketball and track. Not just a jock this member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Intercollegiate Debating Association graduated valedictorian of his class and spoke 20 languages fluently.
Paul had a brief career in professional football, but traded that in for a law degree, earned from Columbia University in 1923. His legal career was short-lived. He was hired by a law firm, placed in a closet-sized office, and the white secretary would not take dictation from him, because he was Black. Robeson felt he was used as a showpiece when clients were in the office.
This true Renaissance Man left the law for a performing arts career. He loved singing and acting as a child and, thankfully, it never left his core. His incredibly rich baritone voice captivated audiences in concert and on the stage. One of the first Black men to play Othello and, performances in the musical Showboat and rendition of Ol’ Man River are considered his signature pieces. His concert career took him all over the world where he became even more aware about sufferings and injustices across the world.
Paul was the “Voice of the People,” his masterful voice - singing and oratory – advocated for civil rights and social justice. With all the tools at his disposal, athlete, scholar, performer, author and activist, he fought for freedom and equality. IT COST HIM his career and health. His passport was revoked by the State Department in 1950, he was unable to travel, to earn money and, through propaganda, was labeled/shunned as a Communist. By the time his passport was reinstated, almost a decade later, his career had suffered deeply.
Here in Syracuse, NY, the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company/PRPAC, co-founded by Bill Rowland and Roy Delemos, stands on the shoulders of this remarkable humanitarian and performer. Robeson said, "Artists are the gatekeepers of truth," and as an actor, producer/director his legacy inspires my every performance to passionately "mean something...affect someone." I genuinely believe in the power of theatre and making a difference through my craft.
Karin Franklin-King
PRPAC member and Cultural Worker at-large