Paul Robeson Biography

Fast Facts

• His "Othello" was the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history at almost 300 performances and is still considered one of the best American Shakespeare productions
• Graduated from Rutgers University as his class valedictorian in 1919 and earned his law degree from Columbia University Law School in 1922
• Began his acting career on the stage in a 1924 performance of Eugene O'Neill's "All God's Chillun Got Wings․"
• Made his screen acting debut in the film "Body and Soul" in 1925
• Quote: "There's no such thing as a backward human being, there is only a society which says they are backward․"
• Best known as an actor, singer, and civil rights activist who played John Zinga in "Song of Freedom" and Brutus Jones in "The Emperor Jones․"
• Was also an acclaimed concert singer, with his trademark song being "Ol' Man River․"
• Spoke 25 different languages, including Russian, Chinese, and several African languages, which aided him in speaking out against human rights violations in other countries
• Was an accomplished football player at Rutgers University, earning back-to-back All-American honors in 1917 and 1918
• Was persecuted by Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1940s for his black nationalist and anti-colonialist activities, culminating in his passport being revoked in 1950, leaving him unable to perform abroad