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Paul Robeson Black Heritage Stamp
Paul Leroy Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert singer, recording artist, athlete and actor who became noted for his political radicalism and pioneering activism in both the human rights and civil rights movements. The son of an escaped slave, Robeson was the first major concert star to popularize the performance of Negro spirituals and was the first black actor of the 20th century to portray Shakespeare's Othello on Broadway.
Described as the "greatest football player of his era", Robeson was an All-American athlete, Phi Beta Kappa Society laureate during his years at Rutgers University. In 1923, Robeson drifted into amateur theater work and within a decade he had become a world famous star of stage, screen, radio and film. Robeson would go on to be a recipient of the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, the Stalin Peace Prize and of honorary memberships in over half a dozen trade unions. Robeson's lead roles in both the US and British film industries were the first to display dignity for blacks, paving the way for Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. Though one of the most internationally famous people of the 20th century, persecution by the U.S. government and blacklisting by the media due to his vocal support of civil rights, Communist countries and the decolonization of Africa during the Cold War, has largely kept Paul Robeson out of mainstream interpretations of history including Black history.
At the height of his career, Paul Robeson chose to become a political artist. In 1950, Robeson's passport was revoked under the McCarran Act over his work in the Anti-imperialism movement and what the U.S. State department called Robeson's "frequent criticism while abroad of the treatment of blacks in the US."Under heavy and daily surveillance by both the FBI and the CIA and publicly condemned for his beliefs by both the United States Congress and mainstream black organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Robeson was denied the opportunity to work as an entertainer in the US and abroad.
Robeson's right to travel was restored in 1958 and his already faltering health broke down under controversial circumstances during a visit to Moscow in 1963. By 1965, he was forced into permanent retirement. He would spend his final years in seclusion living with family, remaining unapologetic about his political views and career. Present day advocates and historians of Paul Robeson's legacy have worked successfully to restore his name to numerous history books and sports records, while honoring his memory globally with posthumous events and recognitions.
Wikipedia
Paul Robeson Black Heritage Stamp
Paul Leroy Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert singer, recording artist, athlete and actor who became noted for his political radicalism and pioneering activism in both the human rights and civil rights movements. The son of an escaped slave, Robeson was the first major concert star to popularize the performance of Negro spirituals and was the first black actor of the 20th century to portray Shakespeare's Othello on Broadway.
Described as the "greatest football player of his era", Robeson was an All-American athlete, Phi Beta Kappa Society laureate during his years at Rutgers University. In 1923, Robeson drifted into amateur theater work and within a decade he had become a world famous star of stage, screen, radio and film. Robeson would go on to be a recipient of the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, the Stalin Peace Prize and of honorary memberships in over half a dozen trade unions. Robeson's lead roles in both the US and British film industries were the first to display dignity for blacks, paving the way for Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. Though one of the most internationally famous people of the 20th century, persecution by the U.S. government and blacklisting by the media due to his vocal support of civil rights, Communist countries and the decolonization of Africa during the Cold War, has largely kept Paul Robeson out of mainstream interpretations of history including Black history.
At the height of his career, Paul Robeson chose to become a political artist. In 1950, Robeson's passport was revoked under the McCarran Act over his work in the Anti-imperialism movement and what the U.S. State department called Robeson's "frequent criticism while abroad of the treatment of blacks in the US."Under heavy and daily surveillance by both the FBI and the CIA and publicly condemned for his beliefs by both the United States Congress and mainstream black organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Robeson was denied the opportunity to work as an entertainer in the US and abroad.
Robeson's right to travel was restored in 1958 and his already faltering health broke down under controversial circumstances during a visit to Moscow in 1963. By 1965, he was forced into permanent retirement. He would spend his final years in seclusion living with family, remaining unapologetic about his political views and career. Present day advocates and historians of Paul Robeson's legacy have worked successfully to restore his name to numerous history books and sports records, while honoring his memory globally with posthumous events and recognitions.
Wikipedia