Patricia McKissack - Paul Robeson: A Voice for Change

A BOOMING VOICE

GROWING UP, PAUL ROBESON LEARNED THAT ROBESONS DONT QUIT! HE REMEMBERED THAT LESSON ALL HIS LIFEIN COLLEGE AND ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, AND LATER WHEN HE WAS AN ACTOR. READ ABOUT ROBESONS LIFE IN THE FAMOUS AFRICAN AMERICANS SERIES.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Patricia and Fredrick McKissack have written over one hundred books about the African-American experience. They have won countless awardsincluding the Coretta Scott King Awardand received much critical acclaim, all the while bringing enjoyment and information to young readers.

Paul Robeson was an actor and singer who believed all people should be treated fairly.

Paul Leroy Robeson was born on April 9, 1898. His father, William, was fifty-three years old. His mother, Maria, could not see well. And it was hard for her to breathe at times.

The Robesons already had four children: Bill Jr., Reeve, Ben, and Marion. Pauls older brothers and sister helped take care of him.

Pauls father, William Robeson, was born a slave. William ran away to freedom when he was fifteen years old. He worked hard and studied for many years. Then he met and married Pauls mother, Maria Louise Bustill. The Robesons moved to Princeton, New Jersey. William, who was now the Reverend William Robeson, was asked to be the pastor at a church there.

While they were living in Princeton, a terrible thing happened to the Robeson family. In January 1904, Pauls mother was cleaning house. A hot coal fell from the stove, and it set Maria Robesons skirt on fire. She died a few hours later from the burns.

Paul was just six years old, so he never remembered much about his mother. He and his father became very close. Pauls father taught him to never quit. My father was the most important person in my life, Paul said many years later.

Reverend Robeson was the pastor of the same church in Princeton for twenty years. After Marias death, Reverend Robeson moved on to other churches, first in Westfield and then in Somerville, New Jersey.

Paul learned many things from his father. One thing he learned was to never give up.

Paul played the part of Othello in high school. He did not enjoy acting in front of a big group.

Paul did well in sports and music at Somerville High School. He also had the lead part in the play Othello. Othello is a famous play written by William Shakespeare.

Acting scared Paul. After he played the part of Othello, he never wanted to act again.

Paul studied hard. His grades were the highest in his class. His grades were so high that Rutgers College in New Jersey wanted him to go to school there.

Paul wondered if he would be happy at Rutgers. Only one other black student went there. Paul talked it over with his family. Then he decided to try it.

Paul tried out for the football team at Rutgers. Some of the white players didnt want a black player on the team. They pushed Paul very hard. They fell on him, kicked his ribs, and stepped on his fingers. They even broke his nose!

Paul had to fight hard to be on the Rutgers football team. He became a star player.

Paul hurt all over. He stayed in bed for a few days. He wanted to quit. Ten days passed. Then he remembered how his father and brothers always stood up for what was right. Would they quit? No!

Paul went back out on the football field. This time he fought back when the other players tried to hurt him. Paul was angry and very strong! He picked up one of the players and held him up in the air. He was going to slam him to the ground. The coach yelled at him to stop. Paul did. The coach said Paul was on the team.

Paul was a good football player, and he played other sports well, too. Still, he never forgot to study. He finished Rutgers with the highest grades in the class of 1919.

Paul felt happy and sad at graduation. His brothers and sister were there to hear him give the class speech. His father was not. Reverend Robeson had died the year before. But Paul knew he would have been proud.

After he left Rutgers, Paul studied law at Columbia University in New York City. On weekends and in the summers he played professional football.

Paul met Eslanda Goode when she was also a student at Columbia. Everybody called her Essie. She wanted to be a doctor.

It didnt take long for Essie and Paul to fall in love. In August 1921, they slipped off to Rye, New York, and were married. Paul finished law school in 1923.

In the 1920s, it was very hard for a black man to be accepted as a lawyer. But Paul felt lucky. A white lawyer asked him to join his law firm.

Paul expected to be treated fairly, but he was not. The white lawyers did not want to work with him. A white secretary would not work for him. At last his boss asked Paul to open a law office in Harlem. Harlem is a mostly black neighborhood in New York City.

Paul and Eslanda married soon after they met. She had an important job at a hospital.

Paul told Essie what happened. She was very angry. She told him not to take the job. He was six feet tall. He was strong and very good looking. He looked like an actor. Why not be one?

Essie talked Paul into taking part in a YMCA play. He tried it just for fun. But he had not forgotten how frightening acting had been in high school.

Paul did very well in the play. He began to take other parts in plays. I was being paid to walk on stage, say a few lines, sing a song or two, Paul said later. Just too good for words.

At first, not many people knew how well Paul could sing. He enjoyed hearing and singing the spirituals he had heard in his fathers church. Often he sang for friends.

One day, Paul saw an old friend named Lawrence Brown. Lawrence played the piano. Paul and Lawrence told Essie about an idea they had. They wanted to give a concert. Essie thought it was a good idea, so she helped.

Paul wondered if people would come to hear him sing spirituals. He got his answer on Sunday, April 19, 1925. Paul sang to a full house at the Greenwich Village Theater in New York. Every seat was taken.

Paul was becoming a star. His fans talked about his big, booming voice. Pauls voice made people laugh and cry. When he finished singing, they stood up and cheered.