Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson (1898–1976) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist.
His bass-baritone voice made him famous for songs like "Ol' Man River" and Negro spirituals.
A scholar-athlete at Rutgers and Columbia Law, he became one of the most celebrated performers of his era.
His outspoken advocacy for racial equality and sympathy for the Soviet Union led to government persecution during the McCarthy era—his passport was revoked and his career effectively destroyed.
He remains a symbol of artistic excellence and principled resistance to injustice.
Venetian military commander
- Show BoatOstentatious performer, or floating theater
- stageRaised performance platform
- screenDisplay or barrier
- BroadwayManhattan theatrical district
performer · drama · Hollywood · cinema · leading man · tragedy · role · thespian
Mid-range male voice
- spiritualsEnslaved people's sacred songs
- folk songsInherited communal music
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- vocalistOne who sings professionally
recital · resonance · timbre · vibrato · concert · ballad · anthem · Go Down Moses
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- equalitySame status for all
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- social justiceFair distribution of opportunities
freedom · racism · integration · liberation · solidarity · advocacy · anti-fascism · anti-colonialism
Top-ranked graduating student
- RutgersNew Jersey's state university
- linguistExpert in languages
- polyglotOne knowing many languages
- oratorSkilled public speaker
intellectual · Phi Beta Kappa · languages · academic · salutatorian · debater · lawyer · philology
Field sport with goals
- RutgersNew Jersey's state university
- trackPath or monitored route
- basketballTeam sport with hoops
- baseballBat-and-ball team sport
varsity · letterman · athleticism · strength · endurance · tackle · physicality · competitor
Pictorial screen symbol
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- heroOne admired for courage
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
pioneer · role model · influential · luminary · timeless · venerated · stamp · centennial
Othello
Venetian military commander
- Show BoatOstentatious performer, or floating theater
- stageRaised performance platform
- screenDisplay or barrier
Broadway · performer · drama · Hollywood · cinema · leading man · tragedy · role · thespian · King Solomon's Mines
baritone
Mid-range male voice
- spiritualsEnslaved people's sacred songs
- folk songsInherited communal music
- bassDeep pitch or fish
vocalist · recital · resonance · timbre · vibrato · concert · ballad · anthem · Go Down Moses
civil rights
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- equalitySame status for all
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
social justice · freedom · racism · integration · liberation · solidarity · advocacy · anti-fascism · anti-colonialism · blacklist
valedictorian
Top-ranked graduating student
orator · intellectual · Phi Beta Kappa · languages · academic · salutatorian · debater · lawyer · philology · humanities
football
Field sport with goals
- RutgersNew Jersey's state university
- trackPath or monitored route
- basketballTeam sport with hoops
baseball · varsity · letterman · athleticism · strength · endurance · tackle · physicality · competitor · sportsmanship
icon
Pictorial screen symbol
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- heroOne admired for courage
inspiration · pioneer · role model · influential · luminary · timeless · venerated · stamp · centennial · rehabilitation
- Bass VoicesBarry White
- Black IconsMartin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Jackie Robinson
- American Socialistssocialist leaders, democratic socialists, party members
- Black IntellectualismW.E.B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, double consciousness, HBCUs
- Censored WritersBoris Pasternak, Salman Rushdie, Milan Kundera, Thomas Mann
- HarlemApollo Theater, Cotton Club, Harlem, Harlem Renaissance, Savoy Ballroom
Paul RobesonJoseph McCarthy
Anti-communist inquisitor senator
J. Edgar Hoover · Ronald Reagan · John Wayne · Barry Goldwater · Richard Nixon
Paul RobesonNat King Cole
Louis Armstrong · Sidney Poitier · Lena Horne · Harry Belafonte · Jackie Robinson
Paul RobesonBing Crosby
Bob Hope · Perry Como · Pat Boone · Dean Martin · Liberace