Paul Robeson : the Artist as Revolutionary, Revoluationary Lives

A world-famous singer and actor, a trained lawyer, an early star of American professional football and a polyglot who spoke over a dozen languages: these could be the crowning achievements of a life well-lived. Yet for Paul Robeson the higher calling of social justice led him to abandon both the NFL and Hollywood and become one of the most important political activists of his generation, a crusader for freedom and equality who battled both Jim Crow and Joseph McCarthy. In __Paul Robeson__, Gerald Horne discovers within Robeson’s remarkable and revolutionary life the story of the twentieth century’s great political struggles: against racism, against colonialism, against poverty—and __for__ international socialism. This critical and searching biography provides an opportunity for readers to comprehend the triumphs and tragedies of the revolutionary progressive movement of which Robeson was not just a part, but perhaps its most resonant symbol. ***Winner PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Book Award*** A fine, taut analysis of the great African American athlete, singer, actor, and political activist. Choice, Highly Recommended Paul Robeson should be remembered today as the forerunner of Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Muhammad Ali. He sacrificed his fame and fortune a performer and athlete in order to fight for the rights of African Americans during the time of Jim Crow and U.S. Apartheid. A world-famous singer and actor, a trained lawyer, an early star of American professional football and a polyglot who spoke over a dozen these could be the crowning achievements of a life well-lived. Yet for Paul Robeson the higher calling of social justice led him to abandon both the NFL and Hollywood and become one of the most important political activists of his generation, a crusader for freedom and equality who battled both Jim Crow and US Senator Joseph McCarthy during the communist witch hunt of the 1950s. In Paul The Artist as Revolutionary , Gerald Horne discovers within Robeson's remarkable and revolutionary life the story of the twentieth century's great political against racism, against colonialism, against povertyand for international socialism. Chapters *The Best Known American in the World" *Rising Revolutionary *From Moscow to Madrid *"Black Stalin"? * Primary Victim of the "Blacklist" *Triumphand Tragedy *Death of a Revolutionary In the Introduction, Horne Paul Robesonactivist, artist, athleteexperienced a dramatic rise and fall, perhaps unparalleled in U.S. history. From mingling with the elite of London society and Hollywood in the 1930s, by the time he died in 1976, he was a virtual recluse in a plain abode in a working-class neighborhood of Philadelphia. What helps to explicate this tragic art of his life is a fateful decision he made when fascism was he threw in his lot with those battling for socialism and decide to sacrifice his thriving artistic career on behalf of the struggle against Jim Crowor U.S. apartheid. This critical and searching biography provides an opportunity for readers to comprehend the triumphs and tragedies of the revolutionary progressive movement of which Paul Robeson was not just a part, but perhaps its most resonant symbol. A world-famous singer and actor, a trained lawyer, an early star of American professional football and a polyglot who spoke over a dozen languages. These could be the crowning achievements of a life well-lived, yet for Paul Robeson the higher calling of social justice led him to abandon both the N.F.L. and Hollywood and become one of the most important political activists of his generation -- battling both Jim Crow and Joseph McCarthy. Gerald Horne's new biography uses Robeson's remarkable and revolutionary life to tell the story of the 20th Century's great political struggles: against racism, against colonialism and for international socialism. This critical and searching account provides an opportunity for readers to comprehend the triumphs and tragedies of the revolutionary progressive movement of which he was not just a part, but, perhaps, its most resonant symbol. This title was made Open Access by libraries from around the world through Knowledge Unlatched A world-famous singer and actor, a trained lawyer, an early star of American professional football and a polyglot who spoke over a dozen languages. These could be the crowning achievements of a life well-lived, yet for Paul Robeson the higher calling of social justice led him to abandon both the NFL and Hollywood and become one of the most important political activists of his generation - battling both Jim Crow and Joseph McCarthy.

Gerald Horne's biography uses Robeson's remarkable and revolutionary life to tell the story of the 20th century's great political struggles: against racism, against colonialism, and for international socialism. This critical and searching account provides an opportunity for readers to comprehend the triumphs and tragedies of the revolutionary progressive movement of which Robeson was not just a part, but, perhaps, its most resonant symbol. "A world-famous singer and actor, a trained lawyer, an early star of American professional football and a polyglot who spoke over a dozen languages. These could be the crowning achievements of a life well-lived, yet for Paul Robeson the higher calling of social justice led him to abandon the theater and Hollywood to become one of the most important political activists of his generation. Gerald Horne's biography uses Robeson's remarkable and revolutionary life to tell the story of the 20th century's great political struggles: against racism, against colonialism, and for international socialism"--Back cover Cover 1 Contents 6 1. The Best Known American in the World 8 2. Rising Star 26 3. Rising Revolutionary 48 4. From Moscow to Madrid 66 5. The Tallest Tree in our Forest 86 6. Black Stalin? 106 7. Robeson: Primary Victim of the Blacklist 128 8. Britain Beckons 150 9. Triumph - and Tragedy 175 10. Death of a Revolutionary 197 Notes 206 Index 245