Paul Robeson: A Life of Activism and Art
Lindsey R. Swindall is the author of the book Paul Robeson: A life of Activism and Art. Swindall is a historian who earned a doctorate degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is currently visiting assistant professor of history at Sam Houston State University. She is also responsible for writing the book The politics of Paul Robeson’s Othello. This book is a phenomenal biography of the multitalented, civil rights activist Paul Robeson. The main focus of this book is to inform the readers about the life that Paul Robeson lead and his everlasting historical marks. Dr. Swindall divides the book into six chapters, each chapter explains a series of events that happened in his life. Starting from his upbringing, to his transitions from an athlete, to a lawyer, and later on to a…show more content… Foreshadowing four decades later when Paul would also have an encounter with president Truman about the same issue; both times resulting in the president not taking any serious action on the dilemma. Robeson was born to William D Robson, a runaway slave who made it to Pennsylvania. His father, an intellectual man, earned three degrees after escaping slavery. He was an advocate for education who followed the ideology of WEB Dubois rather than that of Booker T Washington. Robeson faced a lot of challenges growing up especially after his mothers’ passing. His father lost his Job as a minster, forcing them to move from Princeton to Westfield New Jersey. Despite his color, the parents of the white children did not mind him playing with their kids because he was a promising student. His teachers saw his potential and invested great interest in him. He joined the glee club, literature club, played sports and participated in other
