Paul Robeson's 115th Birth Anniversary

What a simply magnificent voice! This is how most people remember Paul Robeson and while that was his extraordinary trademark, he also possessed other tremendous talents. He was that rare athlete who was also an academic and attended Law School.  He was a gifted Shakespearean actor whose performance as Othello marked a high point in 20th century English Shakespearean theatre. He became politically active during the Civil Rights era, to the detriment of his career, but he was an honest spokesman on behalf of suffering people everywhere. He became a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance movement in his early adulthood. His radical views were controversial and he was shunned by many people and institutions during the Cold War, but in later years, he became more respected and appreciated, though his legacy remains controversial. His influence as an actor, singer, and activist is recognized and preserved today, through archives held at the Academy of Arts and Howard University. Ol' Man River, he just keeps rollin' along...