Paul Robeson Jr. facts for kids

Paul Leroy Robeson Jr. (born November 2, 1927 – died April 26, 2014) was an American author, historian, and someone who collected and kept important historical records. He was known for his work to preserve the legacy of his famous father, Paul Robeson Sr.

About Paul Robeson Jr.

Early Life and Education

Paul Robeson Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Paul Robeson, a lawyer, activist, and singer, and Eslanda Goode Robeson. When he was young, his family moved to Europe. He grew up living in England and Moscow, which is in the Soviet Union (now Russia). In Moscow, he went to a special school.

In 1939, the Robeson family moved back to the United States. They first lived in Harlem, New York, and then in Enfield, Connecticut, starting in 1941. Paul Jr. finished high school at Enfield High School. Later, he went to Cornell University and earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1949.

Family Background

Paul Robeson Jr.'s grandfather, Reverend William Drew Robeson I, was born into slavery. He managed to escape from a large farm where people were enslaved when he was a teenager. He later became a minister at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton in 1881.

His grandmother, Maria Louisa Bustill, came from a well-known Quaker family. This family had a mixed background, including African, Anglo-American, and Lenape (Native American) heritage.

His Work and Legacy

Paul Robeson Jr. dedicated much of his life to honoring his father's memory. He wrote a two-book biography about his father. He also created a huge collection of his father's films, photographs, recordings, letters, and writings. This collection helps people learn about Paul Robeson Sr.'s life and work.

Paul Jr. strongly believed in social and racial justice, just like his father. He once said that he was "a black radical," meaning he supported big changes to make society fairer for Black people.

He married Marilyn Greenberg in 1949. They had two children, David (who passed away in 1998) and Susan. They also had one grandchild. Paul Robeson Jr. passed away in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 2014.

Paul Robeson Sr.'s Legacy

Paul Robeson Jr. often said that his father, Paul Robeson Sr., never officially joined the Communist Party or any other political party. He explained that his father was an independent artist who would not follow strict rules from an organization.

Paul Jr. shared his own political views. He said that from about 1948 to 1962, he was a member of the Communist Party USA. He saw it as a way to help African Americans and advance their interests. He believed it helped build the early civil rights movement and workers' rights groups in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. He left the party in 1962 because he felt it had become too focused on rules and less on its original goals.

Paul Robeson Sr. was a very close friend and protector to his son, Paul Jr. They traveled and lived together at different times. After his father's death, Paul Jr. worked hard to create the Paul Robeson Archive and the Paul Robeson Foundation. The archive is kept at Howard University's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. It is the largest collection of Robeson's documents and items in the Western world, with over 50,000 pieces.

In a 1998 documentary film called His Name was Robeson, Paul Jr. shared stories about his father's life. Paul Robeson Jr. also had Igbo heritage through his father's side of the family.