The National Eisteddfod Lecture at Ebbw Vale, 2010. While Paul Robeson is celebrated today in Wales as a socialist, he was also a key figure for Black Nationalists. Bevan seems to have been somewhat aware of this, for he delivered one of his most nationalistic speeches before introducing Robeson at the 1958 Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale.
Compiled by the editors of Freedomways. Tributes to Robeson in prose and poetry by his contemporaries. Selections from Robeson's own writings. Foreword to this edition by Ernest Kaiser. Updated bibliography.
Paul Robeson: A Life of Activism and Art is the biography of an African American icon and a demonstration of historian Lindsey R. Swindall's knack for thorough, detailed research and reflection.
Lindsey R. Swindall examines the historical and political context of acclaimed African American actor Paul Robeson's three portrayals of Shakespeare's Othello in the United Kingdom and the United States. These performances took place in London in 1930, on Broadway in 1943, and in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. All three of the productions, when considered together, provide an intriguing glimpse into Robeson's artistry as well as his political activism. The Politics of Paul Robeson's Othello maintains that Robeson's development into a politically minded artist explicates the broader issue of the role of the African American artist in times of crisis. Robeson (1898-1976) fervently believed that political engagement was an inherent component of the role of the artist in society, and his performances demonstrate this conviction. In the 1930 production, audiences and critics alike confronted the question: Should a black actor play Othello in an otherwise all-white cast? In the 1943 production on Broadway, Robeson consciously used the role as a form for questioning theater segregation both onstage and in the seats. In 1959, after he had become well known for his leftist views and sympathies with Communism, his performance in a major Stratford-upon-Avon production called into question whether audiences could accept onstage an African American who held radical-and increasingly unpopular-political views. Swindall thoughtfully uses Robeson's Othello performances as a collective lens to analyze the actor and activist's political and intellectual development.
The remarkable life of Paul Robeson, quintessential Harlem Renaissance man: scholar, all-American, actor, activist, and firebrand Born the son of an ex-slave in New Jersey in 1898, Paul Robeson, endowed with multiple gifts, seemed destined for fame. In his youth, he was as tenacious in the classroom as he was on the football field. After graduating from Rutgers with high honors, he went on to earn a law degree at Columbia. Soon after, he began a stage and film career that made him one of the country’s most celebrated figures. But it was not to last. Robeson became increasingly vocal about defending black civil rights and criticizing Western imperialism, and his radical views ran counter to the country’s evermore conservative posture. During the McCarthy period, Robeson’s passport was lifted, he was denounced as a traitor, and his career was destroyed. Yet he refused to bow. His powerful and tragic story is emblematic of the major themes of twentieth-century history. Martin Duberman’s exhaustive biography is the result of years of research and interviews, and paints a portrait worthy of its incredible subject and his improbable story. Duberman uses primary documents to take us deep into Robeson’s life, giving Robeson the due that he so richly deserves.
Paul Robeson, despite being one of the greatest Renaissance figures in American history, still remains in relative anonymity. An exceptional scholar, lawyer, athlete, stage and screen actor, linguist, singer, civil rights and political activist, he performed brilliantly in every professional enterprise he undertook. Any serious treatment of civil rights history and radical politics as well as American sports, musical, theatrical, and film history must consider the enormous contributions of Paul Robeson. And yet, Paul Robeson remains virtually unknown by millions of educated Americans. People typically know him for only one, if any, of the major successes of his life: the concert singer best known for “Old Man River,” the star of Shakespeare’s Othello on Broadway in the early 1940s, the political activist blacklisted for his radical views and activism during the era of McCarthyism in the 1950s. Paul Robeson For Beginners demystifies and bestows light and long overdue credence to the life of this extraordinary American.
Robeson was an African-American singer and actor who became involved with the Civil Rights Movement. He was perhaps best known for the movie Show Boat and for his performances as Othello on Broadway and overseas.
"Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race, and Evolving Reputations includes essays on Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Curt Flood, Paul Robeson, Jim Thorpe, Bill Russell, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos. The essayists in this volume write about twentieth-century athletes whose careers were affected by racism and whose post-career reputations have improved as society's understanding of race changed. Contributors attempt to clarify the stories of these sports stars and their places as twentieth-century icons by analyzing the various myths that surround them." "The essayists writing in this volume come from a wide range of academic disciplines, and each brings a unique perspective to the question of how social agents and institutions construct and deconstruct the narratives surrounding great sports figures."--BOOK JACKET.
This book provides anyone, anywhere with the information they need to prevent bites and stings from scorpions, spiders, mites, ticks, centipedes, lice, and other such creatures.
An updated edition of the highly acclaimed contribution to African-American scholarship, Slave Culture considers how various African peoples interacted on the plantations of the South to achieve a common culture, tracing of the roots of black nationalist feelings in America over several centuries.
"In these pages, you'll meet the state legislator who never met a special interest he did not like, an alderman groveling to a mob boss, and the prosecutor who gained notoriety as a publicity hound."--BOOK JACKET. "Neal's beat is politics, but his interests are rich and varied. He also writes about sports, music, literature, and film with a point of view that is fresh and original."--BOOK JACKET.
