Paul Robeson was one of the most dynamic characters in the twentieth century, but is often forgotten today. A pastor’s son, he grew to be a unanimous All-American defensive end at Rutgers, an award-winning scholar, a law student, a stage actor, a musical artist, a polyglot, and a film actor – all in the first forty years of his life and all despite a strong culture of racism in his home country. The second half of his life was shackled in a brutal political fight against a racist American system. Civil rights leaders in the 1960s credited him with inspiring them in “the movement.” In this biography, his son provides us with an intimate look at the first half of his life.

Robeson’s early life and life at Rutgers are well-chronicled here, in a way only a family member can. The abject racism – even in New Jersey – is told through personal stories, presumably passed in family lore. Here, we can observe the elder Robeson’s courage and determination. With his father William’s encouragement, the elder Paul attempted to be the “model Negro.” His magnificent voice and acting skills took him to England for a decade. He was able to travel Europe and North Africa. Notably, he encountered a much less racist but more classist society in Britain along with fascism while traveling in 1930s Germany for the first time. To him, fascism was a cousin (if not closer) to racism and became a lifelong enemy.

The backstories of two life challenges are described here, too. First, the elder Robeson often sided with communism over fascism in his political stances, much to the chagrin of American conservatives. This tendency provided official trouble in America during the Red Scare after World War II. The younger Robeson explains this as fundamentally an anti-fascist attitude. Like MLK, he saw that communism contained a successful critique of the American racist structure. Alongside his father, his son maintains his family’s essential patriotism for America, including the criticisms. Second, the son describes early difficulties of his father’s marriage with Essie in detail. These accounts make an eminent figure like Paul Robeson to appear much more human, much more like us.

Paul Robeson is sadly a name often forgotten today. We acknowledge the Martin Luther Kings, the Rosa Parks, the Septima Clarks, and the John Lewises much, all with mettle made in the late 1950s and 1960s. The excellence of Paul Robeson taught these leaders, in prior years while younger, of the feasibility of American equality. If Paul could be a world-renowned figure, then American culture could learn to change. If Paul could maintain his faith and integrity while protesting against American racism, so could they. Future generations deserve to hear Paul Robeson’s story, told here with intimate access. ( )

An interesting read of the first half of Paul's life and career. There is the intent to write the second volume, which I look forward to reading.

It's hard to look back with a modern eye and realise just how institutionalised racism against black people was. Robeson lived through this period and it heavily influenced his politics.

I was particularly interested to realise how much he regarded negro spirituals as his people's greatest cultural contribution - he loved their harmony and their intensity.

I've one slight criticism, which is that the writer (Paul's son) has relied very heavily on family sources and not always looked for external material. (for instance, there are no quotes from any of the women that Robeson had affairs with) ( )