Educational Media Reviews Online

Paul Robeson is a video on the life of the famous early-mid twentieth century Afro-American singer, actor, and civil rights activist. Clairmont J. Barnes is the narrator. The video presents a series of black and white photos and film clips, accompanied by the words and speeches of Paul Robeson, as well as comments by Leslie Rodney, Professor of History at Morehouse College.

Robeson's father escaped from slavery in 1860 at the age of 15, and fought in the Civil War on the side of the North. Robeson himself was born in 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey, the youngest of five children. Robeson's father, a pastor, instilled in him the power of knowledge. Robeson won a scholarship to Rutgers University after high school, was the first African-American to make the Rutgers football team, and was their first All-American in that sport. In all, he was awarded 15 letters in four sports, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and was valedictorian in 1919. He went on to Columbia Law School, from which he graduated in 1923. His disgust from a secretary's comment made him drop out of the law office where he was working, and try his hand at acting. He made his debut and fame in All God's Children by Eugene O'Neill, a story involving the marriage of a black man and a white woman. From 1929-1937, Robeson lived in London and traveled around the world as an actor, singer, and entertainer. He mastered over 26 languages, most of them East African. He believed that cardboard blacks, those who try to imitate the lifestyle of white people, would destroy African-American culture in America. In 1934, Robeson visitied the Soviet Union, where he was impressed by the efficiency of socialism. In 1937, he quit doing theater and film, due to Hollywood's casting of blacks in stereotypical roles. From that point on, he became a singer of spirituals and African folk songs in their native languages, as well as an outspoken speaker on socialism. After 1945, he was called before the House UnAmerican Committee to answer charges on being a Communist. His passport was revoked from 1950-1958, after which he moved back to London. He died on January 23, 1977.

While this film is an important and necessary contribution on the life of a very important African-American, the repetition of numerous slides and photos throughout the video was excessive to the point of distraction. Some of the same photo clips were seen well over 10 times, sometimes within seconds of each other. After a while, it took attention away from the narration. There was also a comment on the Vietnam War and African-Americans, when the time period indicated that the war should have been the Korean War. Recommended only for the information on the history of African-Americans prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Sound clips of Robeson's speeches and concerts accompany the slide and photo clips, and the narration and interviews provide interesting biographical details of his life and career, as well as his influence on pre-civil rights America.