Research Paper on:
Life and Impact of Artist Paul Robeson

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
achieved and what was possible for the African American people. He was educated, the son of a former slave, and an intelligent and entertaining man. In the following paper we  examine the life and the importance of Paul Robeson as an entertainer and a political icon. It should be noted that the student requested, if possible, that "Toms, Coons, Mulattoes,  Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History" by Donald Bogle be used. The book was not available to this particular writer and as such an alternative source was used.  Paul Robeson "Paul Robeson was one of the most gifted men of this century. His resonant bass and commanding presence made him a world-renowned singer and actor and proved equally  valuable when he spoke out against bigotry and injustice" (Sellman, 2002; tt_154.htm). Interestingly enough, he did not begin his career in the 1960s with the Civil Rights Movement, as one  might believe, but during the first half of the 20th century. " By the 1930s Robeson was active in a wide range of causes, but his radicalism led to a  long period of political harassment that culminated in his blacklisting during the McCarthy Era. Although he resumed public performances in the late 1950s, this return to active life was brief"  and during the 1960s "serious health problems sidelined him for good" (Sellman, 2002; tt_154.htm). As mentioned, Robeson was the son of a former slave. His mother was a school  teacher "member of one of Philadelphias leading black families. The youngest of five children, Robeson was only six years old when his mother died. His father set high expectations for  his children and sent them to high school in the neighboring town of Somerville, New Jersey, because Princetons segregated system offered no secondary education for blacks" (Sellman, 2002; tt_154.htm).