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Posthumous Recognition
of Paul Robeson
January 27, 1976
Two thousand, five hundred
attend funeral at Mother AME Zion Church in
Harlem. At least an equal number stand outside, in freezing rain,
throughout the service, listening on the public address system, as
speaker after speaker pays tribute to Robeson for his integrity and
tremendous courage in the face of extreme adversity.
January 28, 1976
Memorial tribute held in US
House of Representatives.
February 6, 1976
Rutgers University holds
memorial tribute.
April, 1976
· Two-day National Conference
on Paul Robeson is hosted by African
Studies and Research Center of Purdue University, Indiana. Lloyd L.
Brown's speech, "Paul Robeson Rediscovered," is published as an
Occasional Paper, by the American Institute of Marxist Studies.
· Memorial
concert held in Athens, Greece, under auspices of World Peace Council.
April 9, 1976
Ceremony is held to dedicate
the new Paul Robeson Instructional
Materials Center at the Avery D. Harrington Public School, in
Philadelphia. School principal states, "It is appropriate the Paul
Robeson's name should grace a place for growing minds, books and
learning. His accomplishments personify a love of knowledge and a
respect for all that is precious in the human spirit."
April 25, 1976
Memorial tribute at
800-seat Harbord Auditorium, Toronto, includes
seventy Canadian performers and Earl Robinson (American composer of
“Joe Hill” and “Ballad for Americans”), with 50% of proceeds going to
the Paul Robeson Archives and 50% to the Black Theatre Canada.
April 30, 1976
Memorial tribute at Shiloh
Baptist Church, Washington, DC, includes
representatives from many countries and international as well as
American organizations.
May 16, 1976
Memorial concert held at
Columbia University, New York City.
June, 1976
Public School No. 191 in
Brooklyn is renamed in Robeson’s honor.
July, 1976
Street in Princeton, NJ is
renamed in Robeson’s honor.
October 8, 1976
“Artists’ Tribute to the Life
of Paul Robeson,” is held at Carnegie
Hall, as benefit for the Paul Robeson Archive. Sidney Poitier reflects
the feelings of the audience when he proclaims, “When Paul Robeson
died, it marked the passing of a magnificent giant whose presence among
us conferred nobility upon us all….a dedicated humanist….our debt to
Paul.”
Late 1976
Actors’ Equity holds memorial
celebration of Robeson’s life at Music Center, Los Angeles.
1977
· Paul Robeson Cultural
Center is established at Penn State University.
· Paul Robeson Cultural and Performing Arts Center is established at
Central State University, Wilberforce, OH.
· Paul Robeson International Film Festival is established as annual
event at University of Pennsylvania.
· Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame establishes Paul Robeson Medal of
Distinction; first award goes to Alice Childress.
February, 1977
Black students at Columbia
University Law School establish Paul Robeson Scholarship for minority
and legal studies.
April 17, 1977
“A Tribute to Paul Robeson” is
held at the Central Technical School,
Toronto, Canada, co-sponsored by the Paul Robeson Commemorative
Committee and the African National Congress, of South Africa.
December, 1977
Ad
Hoc Committee to End the Crimes Against Paul Robeson is formed to
protest the inaccurate portrayal of Robeson in a new play by Philip
Hayes Dean.
1978
· Editors of Freedomways,
expand 1971, first-quarter special issue into
full-length book, Paul Robeson: The Great Forerunner, which focuses on
his role as a pioneer, a ground-breaker and trail-blazer decades before
the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
· Soviet Union names 40,000-ton tanker in honor of Robeson.
· Department of Social Studies of the Detroit Public Schools publishes
76-page curriculum booklet, chronicling Robeson’s life, with suggested
instructional activities.
January 1978
Paul Robeson, a one-character
play based on his life, written by Philip
Hayes Dean, after having been performed in several cities the previous
Fall, opens on Broadway, starring James Earl Jones. Play draws public
protest from many highly prominent African American artists, writers,
intellectuals, educators and significant religious and political
leaders. The play is denounced as “a pernicious perversion of the
essence of Paul Robeson,” which subordinates his political radicalism
to his humanism. There are charges and counter-charges, and the
controversy escalates, as articles and letters appear in many
newspapers and magazines for several months.
February, 1978
Paul Robeson Lecture Series
is established at Medgar Evers College, City University of New York.
April, 1978
· Commemoration of 80th birthday,
held in New York.
· Academy of Arts of the German Democratic Republic publishes 65-page
booklet, Paul Robeson: For His 80th Birthday, containing tributes by
many world-renown individuals. On the occasion of his
80th birthday, Paul Robeson Speaks: Writings,
Speeches, Interviews, 1918-1974, by Philip S. Foner, is published.
April 9, 1978
“An Evening with Paul Robeson:
80th Birthday Celebration,” is held at
Ford Auditorium, sponsored by The Museum of African American History,
Detroit, MI. This kick-off for a week of celebration events features
speakers Mayor Coleman A. Young, Paul Robeson, Jr., Mayor Richard
Gordon Hatcher (Gary, IN), and several musical and dance performances.
April 9, 1978
Sunday morning service at
First Unitarian Church, Los Angeles, is
dedicated to Robeson. City Councilman David Cunningham reads out “Paul
Robeson Day” City of Los Angeles Proclamation signed by Mayor Tom
Bradley and himself. A group of “Negro Spirituals” and labor songs is
performed by Earldon Scales.
April 9-16, 1978
Paul Robeson Commemorative
Week, with eight events, is held in Detroit,
under joint sponsorship of Wayne State University and The Museum of
African American History of Detroit.
April 10, 1978
United Nations Special
Committee Against Apartheid holds conference on
“Dimensions in the Struggle Against Apartheid: A Tribute to Paul
Robeson.” Dozens of representatives of governments, labor leaders from
around the world and fighters for Black freedom in the US rise to
salute Robeson on the 80th anniversary of his birth, paying tribute to
him for his pioneering and relentless work in the struggles against
racism and colonial oppression.
April 23, 1978
Celebration of 80th birthday,
held at First Unitarian Church of Los
Angeles, attended by 1200. Program, hosted by Dr. Stephen H. Fritchman,
includes Maya Angelou, William Marshall, Earl Robinson, Paul Winfield,
Frances E. Williams, Professor Don Wheeldin, Attorney Raymond W. Cannon
and then-member of Los Angeles Unified School District, Diane E. Watson.
April 28, 1978
Tribute to Robeson’s 80th
birthday, “Paul Robeson: Revolutionary Fighter,” is held in Havana,
Cuba.
November 28, 1978
Professor Sterling Stuckey
delivers lecture on "The Impact of Paul
Robeson in the Caribbean," at Laney College, Oakland, CA.
December 16, 1978
“Youth Salute to Paul
Robeson” concert is held at Felt Forum, NYC, sponsored by the Young
Workers’ Liberation League.
1979
First quarter issue of
Freedomways carries article "Youth Salute to Paul Robeson," by James
Steele.
“Paul
Robeson: Tribute to an Artist,” documentary on Robeson’s life, narrated
by Sidney Poitier, wins Academy Award OSCAR for Best Documentary (Short
Subjects). Program speakers include Mayor Tom Bradley, Sidney Poitier,
Senator Diane Watson. Brock Peters, Isobel Sanford, Jackie Cooper and
Stevie Wonder join other celebrities and about 500 more who come to pay
homage to Robeson, spilling into the street and stopping traffic for
two hours on Hollywood Boulevard.
April 9, 1979
After more than a year of
public controversy and protest following the
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s initial rejection of application for a
Paul Robeson “star” on Hollywood Boulevard’s “Walk of Fame,” star is
implanted and public dedication ceremony is held. (Original application
was co-sponsored by Actors’ Equity and Screen Actors’ Guild.)
May 6, 1979
Cultural and Ethnic Arts Guild
and Merritt-Vista Colleges of Peralta
Community College District present tribute to Robeson at Oakland
Museum; program is third in a series honoring Robeson.
1980
· Is inducted into the GRAMMY
Hall of Fame, although he is not awarded a GRAMMY until eighteen years
later.
· St. Paul Public School District publishes Paul Robeson Curriculum
Guide: For Grades 4-9.
· Paul Robeson: Biography of a Proud Man, by Joseph Nazel, is published
in Los Angeles.
1981
The Whole World in His Hands:
A Pictorial Biography of Paul Robeson, by Susan Robeson, his
granddaughter, is published.
April 26, 1981
Tribute to Robeson held at
Castlemont High School, Oakland, CA, with guest speaker Paul Robeson,
Jr.
April 27, 1981
"Borderline," Robeson's 1924
Oscar Micheaux silent film is screened at Pacific Film Archives.
April 28, 1981
Tribute to Robeson held at
University of California, Berkeley, with
guest speaker Paul Robeson, Jr. and showing of "Paul Robeson: Tribute
to an Artist," a 29-minute documentary, narrated by Sidney Poitier,
produced by Gil Noble, 1979.
1982
Greenwood Press publishes A
Paul Robeson Research Guide, compiled by Lenwood G. Davis.
February 21, 1982
“Paul Robeson’s Granddaughter
Recalls Him as Gentle Storyteller,”
article is published in the Washington Post, about the publication of
Susan Robeson’s book The Whole World in His Hands: A Pictorial
Biography of Paul Robeson.
April 8, 1983
The Chicago Tribune publishes
article, "Paul Robeson: A Scholar of
Note," by Vernon Jarrett, who stresses that "Robeson was first and
foremost a scholar. At Rutgers, his scholastic excellence earned him a
Phi Beta Kappa key and he was the valedictorian of his class….Let it
never be ignored that Paul Robeson was a scholar before he was anything
else of note. It is Robeson the scholar who should be presented to this
generation of youngsters who are in need of good role models."
1984
Dr. Charles H. Wright, MD,
founder of the Museum of African American
History of Detroit, publishes The Peace Advocacy of Paul Robeson.
May 2-5, 1984
"Let My People Go!" is a
one-man dramatic recreation of Robeson's life,
performed by Joe Carter, at the Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley, CA.
1985
The Black American Cinema
Society establishes annual Paul Robeson
Pioneer Award, “to recognize individuals whose work exemplifies talent
and professionalism throughout the years and who have served as
pioneers in the motion picture and television industry."
January 30, 1985
“Rebels: Paul Robeson,” a
one-hour radio program is broadcast on BBC Radio, UK.
April 9, 1985
Salute to Paul Robeson, at
Gary, Indiana Public Library features Mayor
Richard Gordon Hatcher and Professors Jan Carew and Dennis Brutus, both
of Northwestern University.
1986
Charlotte Turner Bell
publishes book, Paul Robeson's Last Days in
Philadelphia, based on her friendship with Robeson and his sister as
his private accompanist during the final ten years of his life.
Autograph party, held on September 13, 1986 at St. Phillip’s Lutheran
Church, Philadelphia is attended by 300. The author states she decided
to write a factual account to dispute "the totally misleading" picture
painted by the mass media of a sick, lonely and feeble-minded man. "So,
I decided to set the record straight….[H]e lived a full and happy
private life with his family and close friends."
1987
Paul Robeson: The Man and His
Mission, by Ron Ramdin, is published in London.
February 25, 1987
The Christian Science
Monitor publishes article on
Robeson entitled “Choosing Heroes: A Lesson in American Black History,”
by Hosea L. Martin.
April 1-11, 1987
“Deep Bells Ring: The Life and
Songs of Paul Robeson,” a musical
tribute is sponsored by the Building Workers Industrial Union,
Queensland, Australia.
1988
· Is inducted into the
Rutgers University Football Hall of Fame.
· Here I Stand is reprinted, with new Introduction by Robeson scholar,
Professor Sterling Stuckey.
April, 1988
San Francisco Bay Area Peace
Council holds “90th Birthday Tribute to Paul Robeson,” in Berkeley, CA.
April 7-17, 1988
Ten-day “90th Birthday
Tribute to Paul Robeson” is held in Philadelphia.
October 30, 1988
Notable performers and
celebrities present a multi-media dramatic
tribute to Robeson at New York's Shubert Theater as a benefit for the
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture. Participants include
then-President of the Manhattan Borrough David Dinkins, Bill Cosby,
Lena Horne, Toni Morrison, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee,
Christopher Reeve, Max Roach, Estelle Parsons, Morgan Freeman,
Christopher Plummer.
1989
Paul Robeson: A Biography, by
Martin Bauml Duberman, is published. It is the most comprehensive
biography of Robeson thus far.
April 9, 1989
Sun Reporter Newspaper, San
Francisco's African American weekly, holds "Tribute to Paul Robeson."
April 27, 1989
The New York Review publishes
four-page review of Paul Robeson, by Martin Duberman.
April 14, 1991
Paul Robeson Community
Center, Los Angeles, holds "Tribute to Paul Robeson."
April 9-11, 1993
Community College of
Philadelphia holds Paul Robeson 95th Birthday Celebration.
May 25, 1994
Board of Education of the
Oakland Unified School District (California)
adopts resolution to name the district administration building in honor
of Robeson.
July, 1994
West Philadelphia Cultural
Alliance purchases Robeson’s final
residence; transforms house into tribute to the man, a mecca for the
community and home for arts programs. In lot, across street from
Robeson House, new park being created in Robeson’s name, including
7-foot statue, all to be completed before the Centennial anniversary.
January 18, 1995
After five decades of
exclusion for political reasons, is inducted into
the College Football Hall of Fame, in long-overdue step taken by
National Football Foundation.
December, 1995
“Powerful Voice for the
Dignity of All People,” is an article published
(in German) in Zeitung der Schweizerischen Friedensbewegung, newspaper
of the Swiss Peace Movement, on the occasion of the upcoming 20th
Anniversary of Robeson’s death.
February 11, 1996
“Paul Robeson, 1898-1976,”
article appears in The Courant, a Connecticut
newspaper.
April 9, 1996
District of Columbia Public
Schools hold "Paul Robeson Day" activities.
April 20, 1996
Harry Belafonte, speaking in
New York City to the Veterans of the
Abraham Lincoln Brigade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the
Brigade’s arrival in Spain, says of Robeson: “And it was from Paul that
I learned that the purpose of art is not just to show life as it is,
but to show life as it should be. And if art were put into the service
of the human family, it could only enhance their betterment.”
1997
· Committees are formed in
several US cities and around the world to
plan celebrations of Robeson’s April 9, 1998 centennial birthday.
Committees in US also circulate petitions asking the US Postal Service
to issue a postage stamp honoring Robeson. Despite over 90,000
signatures submitted, the USPS does not publish a Robeson stamp.
· Pennsylvania State
University breaks ground for new cultural center dedicated to Robeson,
scheduled to open in 1998.
· The Young Paul Robeson: On My Journey Now, by Lloyd L. Brown, is
published.
· New Jersey Network, Public Television, produces 1-hour documentary on
Robeson, entitled "The Life and Times of Paul Robeson."
. Paul Robeson 100th
Birthday Committee and Columbia College Chicago publish booklet, Paul
Robeson’s Living Legacy.
*“Paul Robeson:
Voice of a Century,” article by Paul Robeson, Jr., is published in The
Black Collegian Online.
February 1997
Monthly issue of
Schweizerische Sanger-Zeitung (Swiss Singers
Newspaper), published by the Swiss Labor Chorus, with article (in
German), “Honoring Paul Robeson,” states that the chorus plans to take
advantage of the 100th birthday of Robeson to help bring more awareness
of his life by their participation in the 1998 Festival of Choirs, in
Vaasa, Finland. For this occasion, the chorus adds Robeson’s songs to
their repertoire.
February
4, 1997
Film screening of The Emperor
Jones is part of exhibition "Rhapsodies
in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance" at the California Palace of
the Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
March
3, 1997
The Philadelphia Inquirer
publishes article "In Full Flower: Paul
Robeson, actor, singer, athlete and casualty of the McCarthy era, is
finally being recognized for what he was: a man dedicated…to the
worldwide cause of humanity."
April 9, 1997
Day is proclaimed Paul Robeson
Day in District of Columbia Public
Schools, with programs and activities related to Robeson on March 21,
April 4 and April 11.
April 20, 1997
“Remembering Paul Robeson: A
Choral Reading,” is held at the Third Unitarian Church, Chicago.
April 22, 1997
Article on Joe Louis, in The
New York Times, quotes him from an early
1970s interview as saying, “I think Paul Robeson did more for the
Negroes than anyone else, even though someone like King did a lot.”
June 16, 1997
Alameda County Central
Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Alameda County, adopts Resolution in support of
efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
June 17, 1997
California Labor Federation,
AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul
Robeson Centennial Committee.
August, 1997
.
American Federation of Musicians, Local 153, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution
in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
· American Postal Workers Union, Local 47, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution
in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
· American Postal Workers Union, San Francisco, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· East Bay Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
August
7, 1997
Sun Reporter publishes
"Conversations with Paul Robeson,"
by Editor, Thomas C. Fleming.
August
28, 1997
Federation of Retired Union
Members, Alameda County, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
September,
1997
· Federation of Retired Union
Members, San Francisco, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· Fremont Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1494, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· United Farm workers of America, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support
of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
October,
1997
· Bay Area Typographical
Union, CWA Local 21, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT, Local 1603, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· Theatrical Employees Union, IATSE Local 1-B-18, San Francisco,
AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul
Robeson Centennial Committee.
Article (in German) appears in October issues of Schweizerische
Sanger-Zeitung (Swiss Singers Newspaper), published by the Swiss Labor
Chorus, and Unsere Welt (Our World), Zeitung der Schweizerischen
Friedensbewegung (Newspaper of the Swiss Peace Movement, “Paul Robeson
and Switzerland,” about the 1930 ten-day visit to Switzerland by
Robeson and his wife, Eslanda, where they both starred in the silent
film Borderline and then toured several Swiss towns.
October 8, 1997
Oakland AFT Local 771,
AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul
Robeson Centennial Committee.
October
20, 1997
Actors Equity Association, Bay
Area, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in
support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
October 31, 1997
Somerville, NJ, Robeson’s home
from 1910 to 1918, kicks off Centennial
observance with a celebration at a football game at his alma mater,
Somerville High School.
· California State University, Hayward, Library mounts multi-media
Robeson exhibit. Bay Area Joint Council 2, SEIU, AFL-CIO, AFL-CIO,
adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson
Centennial Committee. Berkeley Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1078,
AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul
Robeson Centennial Committee. Central Labor Council of Contra Costa
County, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area
Paul Robeson Centennial Committee. Health Care Workers’ Union, SEIU
Local 250, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area
Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
November,
1997
· Bay Area Joint Council 2,
SEIU, AFL-CIO, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution
in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
· Berkeley Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1078, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
· Health Care Workers’ Union, SEIU Local 250, AFL-CIO, adopts
Resolution in support of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial
Committee.
November
1, 1997
The world premiere of "Ballad
for Americans: Stand in the Light" is the
official kick-off of the year-long "Philadelphia Celebrates Robeson."
The program, commissioned and presented by the American Music Theater
Festival, in association with the Paul Robeson House, of the West
Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, is based on the work of 170
Philadelphia middle school students.
November
7, 1997
San Francisco Chronicle
publishes two-page article on Robeson and the upcoming Centennial.
November 10 & 11, 1997
BBC Radio airs two 30-minute
specials on the life of Paul Robeson.
December
9, 1997
Resolution passed by City
Council of Pittsburgh, PA, in support of Robeson Centennial
celebrations.
December 10, 1997
Santa Cruz Central Labor
Council, AFL-CIO, adopts Resolution in support
of efforts by Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee
December
14, 1997
American Civil Liberties Union
of Northern California holds annual Bill
of Rights Day Celebration. Program includes tribute to Robeson, with
slides and commentary.
December 18-31, 1997
"Paul Robeson," by Phillip
Hayes Dean, returns to the stage, this time
starring Avery Brooks, at the Longacre Theatre, New York City.
1998-1999
Rutgers University’s
2,000-square foot, multi-media Robeson exhibition
opens first on Rutgers’ Camden campus, April 5-July 31, 1998, then
travels to the California African American Museum, in Los Angeles,
September 10-December 31, 1998, the Smithsonian, in Washington, DC,
February 1-April 30, 1999, and the Museum of the City of New York, June
1-September 30, 1999. Rutgers University Press publishes large-format
companion book, with photos and an extensive biography, Paul Robeson:
Artist and Citizen. In each city, several special Robeson events
accompany the exhibition: musical and dramatic programs, lectures and
panel discussions, concerts, film screenings, day-long conferences,
programs for school children, walking tours of Robeson sites.
1998
· Over 400 hundred Robeson
Centennial celebrations take place in cities
throughout the US and Canada and around the world and many new honors
are bestowed upon him; many Robeson exhibits are mounted in museums,
libraries, schools; many articles on Robeson appear in newspapers and
magazines; more documentary films on his life are produced; his films
are shown at many film festivals; his musical recordings are
re-mastered on CDs. The tributes are too numerous to be cited here;
some highlights are given below. For details, see website of Paul
Robeson 100th Birthday Committee of Chicago: http://pobox.com/~robeson/.
· Governor Christine Todd
Whitman proclaims 1998 "Paul Robeson Year in New Jersey."
· Lenwood G. Davis publishes A Paul Robeson Handbook: Everything You
Want to Know About Paul Robeson.
· February/March issue of American Visions magazine carries five-page
article written by Robeson scholar Dr. Charles L. Blockson.
· April/May issue of NAACP's
The Crisis carries two-page article, "Paul Robeson: American Icon and
Brother to His People," by Vernon Jarrett.
· May issue of Ebony magazine contains article on Robeson Centennial.
January February, 1998
Outlook: Canada’s Progressive
Jewish Magazine publishes article, “Paul Robeson—A Great Human Being,”
January 9-April 25, 1998
American Labor Museum,
Haledon, NJ, holds exhibition, "Paul Robeson: A
Political Portrait, 1948-1959," documenting Robeson's political
activism in the US, Australia, England, Germany and the USSR.
January
11, 1998
Bay Area Paul Robeson
Centennial Committee holds its first event, "An
Afternoon of Music and Poetry in Honor of Paul Robeson," at the
Northbrae Community Church, Berkeley, CA. Over 300 attend, braving a
torrential downpour.
January
21, 1998
San Francisco Unitarian
Universalist Church holds annual Black History
Dinner and Program, "Celebration of the Life of Paul Robeson."
January 30-June 30, 1998
Detroit’s Museum of African
American History holds exhibition, "Life and Times of Paul Robeson."
February, 1998
Free Radio Berkeley begins
weekly series of 24 one-hour programs on Robeson.
February/March 1998
American Visions, The Magazine
of Afro-American Culture, publishes
five-page article “Paul Robeson: Melody of Freedom,” by Charles L.
Blockson, curator of African American Collection at Temple University,
Philadelphia, and full-page listing of Robeson Centennial events
scheduled in 1998 throughout the country.
February
1, 1998
“Climbing Jacob’s Ladder: The
Life and Times of Paul Robeson,” an
all-day conference is held at the Robeson Campus Center, Rutgers
University, Newark, NJ.
February 1-3, 1998
PBS airs "I'll Make Me A
World: A Century of African American Artists,"
a six-hour documentary, of which approximately one hour is on Robeson.
February 2-27, 1998
Paul Robeson Academy, Detroit
Public School District, sponsors several Robeson centennial events.
February 2, 1998
New York University, the
Tamiment Library and Actors’ Equity
Association’s Committee for Racial Equality hold “A Celebration of Paul
Robeson,” at NYU.
February 3, 1998
Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation airs radio documentary on the life of Paul Robeson.
February 4, 1998
Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame
screens The Emperor Jones at the
California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San
Francisco.
February 7, 1998
* WCHB-Radio, Detroit, airs
"Paul Robeson Hour."
·
A musical tribute to Robeson is held at The Folklife Center
International House, Philadelphia.
February 8-22, 1998
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre,
San Francisco, presents "Lift Every Voice:
A Centennial Tribute to Paul Robeson," in a variety of musical,
dramatic and dance performances.
February 8, 1998
Annual Meeting of the Swiss
Peace Movement honors Robeson with speech and film showing, in Basel,
Switzerland.
February 9, 1998
Chicago Oral History
Roundtable holds forum, "African American History Month: Paul Robeson
Lives!"
February 9-May 2, 1998
From These Roots, a narrative
and pictorial traveling exhibit on
Robeson’s life and achievements, curated by Charles Blockson, is held
at the Stedman Gallery, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ.
February 14, 1998
The Ralph Penn Trio performs
“Jazz, Our Real Heritage: Reflections on Paul Robeson,” at the Paul
Robeson House, Philadelphia.
February 15, 1998
African American Center of the
San Francisco Public Library presents
program on "Paul Robeson and the United Nations Genocide Petition," as
part of a year-long series sponsored by Amnesty International,
commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention
Against All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
February
18, 1998
*Beginning of 8-week course,
"Paul Robeson: A Life and a Legacy," at Columbia College, Chicago.
·
“Paul Robeson: The Philadelphia
Connection,” a program on the role of Philadelphia in the life of
Robeson, at the Paul Robeson House, Philadelphia.
February 22, 1998
“The Tallest Tree in Our
Forest: Paul Robeson and the Meaning of His
Life for Today,” African American History Month celebration is
sponsored by People’s Weekly World newspaper, New Haven, CT.
February
25, 1998
The National Academy of
Recording Arts and Sciences awards Robeson the
Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY. Ceremony, at Radio City Music Hall, is
broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV.
*Living Arts section of The New York Times carries article “Robeson’s
Remarkable Life Story Told Again.”
February
27, 1998
Hollywood Entertainment
Museum, Los Angeles, holds "Tribute to African
American Hollywood Stars: Paul Robeson, Renaissance Man." Also hosts
public Robeson exhibition through April 30.
February
28, 1998
Long Island University holds
all-day conference to celebrate the
Robeson centennial. All aspects of his life and legacy are examined in
papers presented by Robeson scholars to the over-400 participants. The
occasion is capped by a performance of Ballad for Americans and other
Robeson songs by the New York City Labor Chorus and New York's All-City
High School Orchestra.
February
29, 1998
Hartford Memorial Baptist
Church, Detroit, holds Paul Robeson Oration.
March
1, 1998
San Francisco Bay Area Post of
the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln
Brigade presents "Paul Robeson: The Artist Must Take Sides" in tribute
to the great anti-fascist hero. Program consists of dramatic
performance by the San Francisco Mime Troupe, with slides and
commentary, and keynote speaker Professor Sterling Stuckey.
March 3, 1998
“Paul Robeson: the
Philadelphia Connection,” is a lecture sponsored by the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers.
March 9-May 2, 1998
Stedman Gallery, Rutgers
University Camden Campus, hosts photographic
exhibition, "Paul Robeson--A Political Portrait, 1948-1959," with 41
photographs documenting the political activities of Rutgers' most
distinguished alumnus.
March 8-14, 1998
Paul Robeson Centennial
Exhibit is staged at Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, Australia.
March 16, 1998
JET Magazine publishes
articles on the awarding of the GRAMMY to Paul Robeson.
March 19, 1998
A musical program celebrating
the life and career of Paul Robeson, for
children of Philadelphia schools, is held at the Settlement Music
School.
March 20 and April 3, 1998
“Voice of a Patriot,” a
program of “Songs, oration and dramatic
presentation to present Robeson’s life and achievements in the context
of modern history,” is held at Rutgers University, Camden, NJ.
March 26, 1998
Music Department, Laney
College, Oakland, hosts Paul Robeson Centennial
Celebration, featuring guest speaker Lloyd L. Brown, with baritone
Prentice Phillips and William Duncan Allen at the piano.
March
27, 1998
Oakland East Bay Symphony,
under the direction of Michael Morgan, gives
concert, "Ballad for Americans," in salute to Robeson, with Lloyd Brown
as pre-concert speaker, at historic Paramount Theater, Oakland,
CA. Also participating in the performance are the Oakland
Symphony Chorus, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Oakland Youth Chorus
and Laney College Concert Chorale.
March
28, 1998
. The Sports Image Educational
Foundation honors Robeson with a
posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award, at Herbst Theater, San
Francisco. Award is given to athletes who have given time and effort to
better their community.
. Lloyd L. Brown speaks
at Paul Robeson Centennial Celebration at African American Community
Service Agency, San Jose, CA.
March
28-29, 1998
“Paul Robeson, All American,”
an original new play intended for
audiences age 10 and over, written by veteran actor Ossie Davis, has
debut performance at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University.
March
29, 1998
· Rutgers-Camden Center for
the Arts presents concert, "Robeson in
Song," with several choral groups performing selections from Robeson's
repertoire.
· Center for Marxist Education holds tribute, "Remember Paul Robeson,"
in Cambridge, MA.
March 31, 1998
· “Worship Service in
Celebration of the Life of Paul Robeson” is held
at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA.
· The
New Jersey Performing Arts Center screens video “Speak Of Me As I Am,”
followed by panel discussion.
April, 1998
· “Paul Robeson: Icon for the
21st Century,” article by John Hope
Franklin, is published in Emerge magazine.
· National Film Theatre, London, commemorates Robeson’s centennial in a
month-long retrospective, with screenings of his films, forums and
seminars.
April 1 through July
12, 1998
The New York Historical
Society holds exhibition sponsored by the Paul
Robeson Foundation, "Paul Robeson: Bearer of a Culture," and hosts
fifteen public programs, including screenings of his films, panel
discussions, concerts, talks by Robeson scholars and walking tours of
"Paul Robeson's Harlem."
April
2, 1998
Panel discussion with Susan
Robeson, filmmaker, author and
granddaughter of Paul Robeson, leads off five-week film festival
co-sponsored by Columbia College and the Harold Washington Archives and
Collections of the Chicago Public Library.
April 2-19, 1998
The Free Library of
Philadelphia hosts “Paul Robeson In Philadelphia
and Beyond: A Centennial Exhibition, 1898-1998.”
April 2-30, 1998
WYBE-TV, Philadelphia,
screens Robeson films every Thursday.
April 4, 1998
· "Paul Robeson: All
American," play by Ossie Davis, is performed at
the South Jersey Performing Arts Center, Camden, NJ.
· Hyde Park Youth Symphony and Chicago Children's Choir perform in
concert to celebrate Robeson Centennial.
*
Paul
Robeson Centennial Concert is sponsored by the Bridgend County Borough
Council, Portcawl, Wales, UK.
April 5, 1998
Detroit Museum of African
American History holds "Robeson Gala Dinner and Theatre."
April 5-July 31, 1998
“Paul Robeson: Artist and
Citizen,” Rutgers University’s centennial
traveling exhibition, opens at the school’s Camden Campus.
·
“Paul Robeson, The First 100 Years:
Celebration of His Life and Legacy,” at Columbia University, NYC,
features Ossie Davis, Lloyd L. Brown, Esther Jackson, Odetta, Pete
Seeger, Vinie Burrows, Dr. Charles H. Wright, Professor Gerald Horne,
Margaret Burnham, Victor Navasky, Jan Carew.
April 6-July 19, 1998
The Free Library of
Philadelphia and the Charles L. Blockson
Afro-American Collection, Temple University, mount, "Paul Robeson in
Philadelphia and Beyond: A Centennial Exhibition, 1898-1998."
April 6, 1998
New York State Senate passes
resolution in support of the Centennial Celebrations for Robeson.
April 5-11, 1998
City of Westfield, NJ,
observes “Paul Robeson Week,” with a full week
of events in honor of their native son, who lived in the town from 1907
to 1910.
April 6-11, 1998
*The Catalyst Dance and Drama
Company, Liverpool, UK, presents a week of Centennial tributes.
*“Paul Robeson Week” in Toronto includes film screenings, a symposium
and a concert.
April
7, 1998
The Trade Union History
Project, New Zealand, holds Robeson Centennial
Celebration. During the following week, several Robeson programs are
aired on New Zealand radio and articles appear in several journals.
April
8, 1998
· "We Celebrate Paul Robeson" is a
day-long celebration at the Paul Robeson High School, Chicago.
·
The New York Historical Society hosts panel discussion, “Robeson,
African Americans and McCarthyism,” with Lloyd Brown and professors
Manning Marable and Eric Foner.
· “An
inspiration which lives on,” article in The Morning Star, London
·
“He was a red-loving, boat-rocking thorn in the side of white America.
How could the world forget Paul Robeson,” article in The Guardian, UK,
on the occasion of a season of Robeson films at the National Film
Theatre, London
·
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, holds "Paul Robeson Celebration
Program," with guest speaker poet Amiri Baraka.
April 8-14, 1998
Paul Robeson Centenary
Exhibition is held at Sydney Town Hall, Sydney,
Australia, then goes to Melbourne for April 16-19 exhibit.
April 8-May 8, 1998
Toxteth Library, Liverpool,
UK, hosts Robeson exhibition.
April
9, 1998
The
Actual 100th Birthday of Paul Robeson
·
Paul Robeson 100th Birthday Committee, Chicago, holds Centennial
Celebration at South Shore Cultural Center. Program includes
Representative Bobby Rush, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, founder of the
Chicago DuSable Museum of African American History, singer/composer
Oscar Brown, Jr., journalist Vernon Jarrett, author Studs Terkel and
students of the Paul Robeson High School.
· The Museum
of African American History, Detroit, MI, holds Paul Robeson 100th
Birthday Celebration.
· University of Michigan (Ann
Arbor) holds Inaugural Symposium,
celebrating the opening of the Paul Robeson Research Center for
Academic and Athletic Prowess.
· WGPR-Radio, Detroit, airs three-hour program on Robeson.
· Pittsburg (PA) City Council proclaims the date "Paul Robeson Day."
· WGBO-Radio, New York/New Jersey Metro Area, broadcasts "Paul Robeson:
A Tribute to My Friend," a documentary featuring Lloyd L. Brown,
Robeson's biographer and longtime friend, reflecting on their 30-year
friendship and discussing Robeson's musical achievements and the impact
of his music on worldwide social and political issues of the day.
· Paul Robeson Centennial Anniversary Concert is performed by the New
York City Labor Chorus, at the Jewish Community Center, Washington, DC.
· KBOO-Radio, Portland, OR, airs three-hour program on Robeson.
· Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research holds
35th Anniversary Dinner in honor of Robeson, at Beverly Hilton Hotel,
Los Angeles with performing artist Debbie Allen as the recipient of the
Paul Robeson Award for her activism in the struggle for social
justice.
· Paul Robeson Centennial Committee of Southern California holds Paul
Robeson 100th Birthday Party at the Simon Weisenthal Center/Museum of
Tolerance, Los Angeles.
· City of Toronto, Canada, proclaims the date "Paul Robeson Day."
· Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara (CA) proclaims the
date "Paul Robeson Day."
· City and County of San Francisco issues proclamation "in honor of
Paul Robeson's remarkable contribution to the social, political and
artistic vitality of our nation…[and] commend[s] this true Renaissance
man for his exemplary vision and spirit…."
·
Centennial Celebration includes musical selections, selected readings
and screening of film Proud Valley, at the Santa Barbara Central
Library.
· Cathedral City Library and Palm Desert Library (California) hold
Robeson Centennial tributes.
· “Robeson Keeps Rolling Along: A Tribute in Song and Anecdote to Paul
Robeson” is held at Tom Mann Theatre, Sydney, Australia. Program is
performed again in Melbourne on April 19.
· State of New
York adopts Legislative Resolution In Support of the Centennial
Celebration of Paul Robeson.
· Article, “Paul Robeson Centennial,” appears in the Wall Street
Journal. · Israel Broadcasting Authority, Voice of Music Channel,
Jerusalem, Israel, broadcasts program, “Paul Robeson – Singer and
Humanist.”
· Radio Moreeni,
Tampere, Finland, broadcasts program, “Paul Robeson – 100.”
· Canadian Broadcasting Corporation airs second radio documentary on
the life of Paul Robeson.
April 9 and 18, 1998
One-hour program on Robeson
is broadcast by the Mexican Radio Institute, Mexico City.
April 12, 1998
Concert in honor of Robeson
is held in Berlin, Germany.
April
15, 1998
“Celebrate Renaissance Men:
Harold Washington and Paul Robeson,”
features keynote speaker Congressman Danny K. Davis and the Chicago
Children’s Choir, at the Harold Washington Library, Chicago.
April 15 and 20, 1998
National Faroese Broadcasting
Corporation, Faroe Islands, Norway, broadcasts programs on
Robeson.
April
16, 1998
San Jose Mercury News
publishes article entitled "Robeson's many talents still inspire awe,
respect."
April
16-18, 1998
School of Oriental and African
Studies, University of London, holds
three-day conference, "A Celebration of the Life of Paul Robeson."
April
17-24, 1998
Rutgers University, New
Brunswick campus, screens Robeson films.
April 18, 1998
· Avery Brooks performs “Paul
Robeson: The Man and His Music,” one-man
play by Phillip Hayes Dean, at New Regal Theater, Chicago.
· “Tribute to Paul Robeson” is presented by
the Centre for Socialist Education, Vancouver, BC, Canada
April 19, 1998
· “Remembering Paul Robeson,”
a panel discussion, is held at Robin’s Book Store, Philadelphia.
·
“A Tribute to Paul Robeson” is held at Melbourne University, Australia.
April
21, 1998
President Bill Clinton faxes
message of greeting to celebration of the
Robeson Centennial in Westchester County, NY. Clinton states,
in
part: “A century
after Paul Robeson’s birth, we live in a nation that is stronger
because of his vision and eloquent voice.”
April
23, 1998
·
Columbia College Chicago presents the premier screening of “The Robeson
Concerts: Peekskill, 1949,” at the Harold Washington Library.
· “Singing for peace, hope and freedom,” article appears in
The Morning Star, London
April 24, 1998
Center for Inner City
Studies, Northeastern Illinois University, holds
panel discussion, “The Political Impact of Paul Robeson: Black Warrior
in Cold War America,” featuring Jack O’Dell, Director of International
Affairs for the Rainbow/PUSH organization.
April
26, 1998
· People's Weekly World
newspaper holds forum in Chicago: "Paul
Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois and the Roots of Black Radicalism."
· Berkeley (CA) Fellowship of
Unitarian Universalists dedicates Sunday
Service to "Paul Robeson: African American Giant."
April 27, 1998
San Jose Peace Chorale
performs Ballad for Americans, with slideshow on Robeson’s life, in San
Jose, CA.
April 28, 1998
The West Philadelphia Cultural
Alliance hosts “From These Roots,” a
narrative and pictorial traveling exhibit on Robeson’s life and
achievements, and “The Young Paul Robeson: On My Journey Now,” a
lecture and book signing by biographer Lloyd L. Brown, at the Paul
Robeson House, Philadelphia.
April 29-May 10, 1998
International House,
Philadelphia, holds "Paul Robeson Film Series."
May, 1998
The Unionist: Official
Publication of Social Service Employees Union
Local 371-DC 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO, publishes “Salute to Paul Robeson on
Centennial of His Birth,” 2-page center spread, with photos.
May 1, 1998
Black Radical Congress holds
Robeson Centennial celebration at the
Schomburg Center for Research In Black Culture, New York City.
May 3, 1998
· The Swiss Labor Chorus
performs concert in honor of Robeson in Langenthal,
Switzerland.
· Berne Radio, Switzerland, broadcasts program on the life of
Robeson.
May 4, 1998
The Swiss Party of Labour,
Berne, Switzerland, screens “I’m a Negro,
I’m an American,” a documentary film from the GDR.
May 5, 1998
Southfield Public Library
(Michigan) holds Robeson Centennial Program.
May
9, 1998
People's Weekly World
newspaper holds program, "Honoring Paul Robeson: Hero of Our Times," at
YWCA, Oakland, CA.
· Centennial tribute is held
at the Herman Park Community Center, University City,
Missouri.
May 18, 1998
The Paul Robeson Foundation
presents the Paul Robeson Centennial
Celebration Gala, "The Voice of the Ages," at the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel, hosted by actor Roscoe Lee Browne.
May 22, 1998
The International Labor Chorus
Festival, in Vaasa, Finland, hosts concert in honor of
Robeson.
May 24, 1998
The National Association of
Negro Musicians presents “Paul Robeson
Centennial Concert” at the Church By the Side of the Road, Berkeley,
CA.
May 25, 1998
ETA Creative Arts Foundation,
Chicago, holds “Loyalty to Convictions:
Paul Robeson,” staged reading of new play by Useni Eugene
Perkins.
May 27-July 31, 1998
“Not Soon Forgotten: A Homage
to Paul Robeson,” an exhibit is held at
Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia.
May 31, 1998
People's Weekly World
newspaper holds tribute in New York, "Honoring Paul Robeson: His Time
Has Come."
June 1, 1998
The Robey Theatre Company
presents “A Tribute to Paul Robeson,” at The
Actors’ Gang Theatre, Hollywood. Program includes Danny Glover, Sidney
Poitier, Brock Peters, Alfre Woodard and John Randolph, as a benefit
for the Paul Robeson Scholarship Fund at Rutgers University.
June
2, 1998
· Mayor Susan Hammer, San
Jose, CA, proclaims "Paul Robeson Recognition Day."
·
San Jose Peace Chorale performs Ballad
for Americans, with slideshow on Robeson’s life, at the
Unitarian Fellowship, Los Gatos, CA.
June
18, 1998
Chicago Center for Arts Policy
presents “Paul Robeson: Artist, Citizen,
Activist---A Legacy for Today”---A Discussion on the Role of the Artist
Today,” held at Getz Theater, Columbia College Chicago.
June 18 and 19, 1998
Newark (NJ) Public Radio
broadcasts two-part series, “Paul Robeson: A
Tribute to My Friend,” with Lloyd L. Brown, Robeson’s long time friend
and colleague.
June 19, 1998
Jewish Bulletin of Northern
California, publishes article for
Centennial, “Paul Robeson: Forgotten Hero of Jews,
African-Americans.”
June
20-27, 1998
Exhibition of “Freedom or
Slavery: The Paul Robeson Portfolio,” at the
Bomani Gallery, San Francisco. The Portfolio is a screen printed
collection of drawings, essays and poetry contributed by artists and
writers to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Paul
Robeson, including Harry Belafonte, Dennis Brutus, Elizabeth Catlett,
Angela Davis, Ossie Davis, Toni Morrison, Pete Seeger, Studs Terkel.
The Exhibition is repeated, November 15, 1998 to January 15, 1999, at
the Asian Resource Gallery, Oakland, CA.
June 25, 1998
Robeson’s 1939 film Proud
Valley is screened at the Towne Theatre, San Jose, CA.
July, 1998
· Every Thursday, at noon,
the San Francisco Public Library screens Robeson films.
· School of the Art Institute
of Chicago screens eight Robeson film throughout the month.
July 2-30, 1998
The San Francisco Public
Library presents “Paul Robeson: A Centennial
Tribute.” Including a photographic exhibition and the screening of
Robeson films every Thursday at noon.
July 4, 1998
The Clarion Singers,
Birmingham, UK, perform Robeson Centennial Concert, at St. Annes
Church.
July
12, 1998
· Fifth Annual San Francisco
Laborfest holds "A Labor Tribute to Paul
Robeson," a historical perspective on Robeson's activism with trade
unions.
·
San
Jose Peace Chorale performs Ballad for
Americans, with slideshow on Robeson’s life, at the Unitarian
Church, Palo Alto, CA.
July
13, 1998
"Paul Robeson: All American,"
by Ossie Davis, is presented at Tribeca
Performing Arts Center, New York, with tickets ranging from $50 to
$1500, in benefit for Theatreworks/USA, a summer program established in
1989 for giving the city's school children access to dramatic theater.
August
19, 1998
California State Assembly
passes Resolution in honor of Robeson.
August
23, 1998
The Bay Area Paul Robeson
Centennial Committee and Musicians' Union
Local 6 present "Paul Robeson Centennial Concert" at Golden Gate Park
Band Shell, San Francisco, performed by Oakland East Bay and baritone
soloist Macatee Hollie. The performance recreates Robeson's United
Nations Concert of August, 1943 sponsored by the San Francisco CIO and
held at San Francisco Civic Auditorium.
September, 1998
· Jewish Currents magazine
publishes two articles and a poem about Robeson.
· Paul Robeson Film Festival is held at the African American Museum of
Philadelphia.
September 5, 1998
Concert in celebration of
Robeson’s Centennial is held in Lisbon, Portugal.
September
11, 1998
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences screens "Showboat" (1935)
as kick-off event for Robeson exhibition at California African American
Museum, Los Angeles.
September 10-December
31, 1998
California African American
Museum, Los Angeles, hosts Rutgers
University's traveling exhibition, "Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen,"
and several city-wide related public programs.
September
17, 1998
At its 28th Annual
Legislative Conference, the Congressional Black Caucus devotes one
day's discussion to Robeson.
September 17-November 16, 1998
The Bread and Roses Cultural
Project of SEIU Local 1199 mounts exhibit,
“Paul Robeson (1898-1998) A Century of Greatness,” at the union’s
Gallery 1199, New York City.
September 18-December 31, 1998
New Jersey Historical Society,
in Newark, hosts “Paul Robeson: Bearer
of A Culture,” exhibition of the Paul Robeson Foundation.
September 19, 1998
City of Ocean Grove, NJ,
holds day-long celebration of Robeson’s Centennial.
September 27-November 27, 1998
Watts Labor Community Action
Committee holds exhibition, "Paul Robeson:
All American Superstar and Man For the People," based on the Kimbrough
Family Paul Robeson Collection, at the Cecil Ferguson Gallery, Los
Angeles, and sponsors several Paul Robeson programs.
September
28, 1998
NCAA News carries extensive
article on Robeson as “Model Athlete” who
“remains an example” for “his dedication to academics, athletics and
social justice.”
October
1-11, 1998
UCLA Film and Television
Archive presents "Paul Robeson: Star of Stage
and Screen," a full retrospective of Robeson's film work, including
screening of his films and a symposium, "an afternoon of discussion
situating Robeson's work in theater and film in the larger context of
his life and times."
October 13, 1998
“Birmingham Clarion Singers
and Rainbow Voices Celebrate the Centenary
of Paul Robeson,” at Library Theatre, Birmingham,
England.
October,
17, 23, 28 and November 13, 1998
Puffin Cultural Forum,
Teaneck, NJ, holds Robeson Centennial
Celebration, with five musical, theatrical and discussion events.
October
18, 1998
Dr. Charles H. Wright, Robeson
scholar and founder of the Detroit
Museum of African American History, lectures on "The Role of Paul
Robeson's Peacemaking," at the Main Library, Oakland, CA.
October
23, 1998
Antioch Baptist Church, San Jose,
CA, hosts program, "The Remarkable Life of Paul Robeson."
October 29, 1998
“Paul Robeson: A Pioneering
Activist for African Liberation,” a panel
discussion of the historical record of Robeson’s activism on behalf of
African colonial peoples and his call for African American involvement
in the making of US policy toward Africa, is sponsored by the African
American Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
November 8-15. 1998
Medgar Evers College of the
City University of New York, Department of
Mass Communications, Creative and Performing Arts and Speech, presents
eight full days of Robeson centennial programs.
November 21, 1998
Paul Robeson Centennial
Commemoration is held in Basel, Switzerland.
November
30, 1998
Gala Centennial Salute, "Paul
Robeson: Ol' Man River," is held at
Carnegie Hall, co-produced and hosted by Harry Belafonte and Paul
Robeson, Jr. Program also includes Muhammad Ali, F. Murray Abraham,
Avery Brooks, Roscoe Lee Browne, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, former New York
Mayor David Dinkins, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Anne Jackson, Paul
Newman, Gil Nobel, Representative Charles Rangell, Roy Scheider, Pete
Seeger, Eli Wallach, Afre Woodard, the New York City Labor Chorus and
the Onllwyn Male Voice Choir of Wales, with proceeds going to the
educational work of the Paul Robeson Foundation.
December 5, 1998
“The Artist Must Take Sides: A
Theatrical Tribute to Paul Robeson,”
sponsored by Chicago Friends of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, is held at
Roosevelt University, Chicago.
December 15, 1998
“Paul Robeson and the Labor
Movement,” a program of film and songs, is
sponsored by the Zurich branch of the Swiss Party of
Labour.
1999
and beyond
·
February 24: PBS airs "Paul Robeson: Here I Stand," a new 2-hour
documentary on his life and makes video available for purchase.
· Rutgers University's exhibition, "Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen,"
completes its tour at the Smithsonian, February 1-April 30, and The
Museum of the City of New York, May 15-September 30.
Some Robeson committees continue efforts to introduce his life and
legacy to ever more people, with emphasis on the youth, via curriculum
in schools.
January 29-30, 1999
“An Evening with Avery Brooks”
is the opening event of the “Paul
Robeson: A Renaissance Man Remembered,” a weekend seminar sponsored by
The Smithsonian Associates, Washington, DC, in collaboration with the
opening of the Rutgers University exhibition "Paul Robeson: Artist and
Citizen," at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian
Institution.
January 9-April 25, 1999
American Labor Museum,
Haledon, NJ, holds exhibition, "Paul Robeson: A
Political Portrait, 1948-1959," documenting Robeson's political
activism in the US, Australia, England, Germany and the USSR.
February 1-April 30, 1999
The Smithsonian Institution
hosts the Rutgers University Exhibition, “Paul Robeson: Artist and
Citizen.”
February 2, 1999
“Scandalize My Name: Stories
from the Blacklist,” a film about the
blacklisting of Robeson and other African American political artists
during the Cold War, premiers at Lincoln Center, New York
City.
February 5-7, 1999
Aldo Billingslea performs
“Paul Robeson,” play by Phillip Hayes Dean,
presented by the Department of theatre and Dance, Santa Clara
University, Santa Clara, CA.
February 6, 1999
Vassar College holds concert,
“Songs of Struggle and Protest,”
performed by the New York City Labor Chorus in honor of Robeson
centennial.
February 7, 1999
City of Albany, New York proclaims Paul Robeson Day.
March 12, 1999
Centennial Tribute is held at
First A.M.E. Zion church, San Jose, CA.
April 17, 1999
“Paul Robeson – Honorary
Welshman,” a TV documentary is broadcast in Cardiff, Wales,
UK.
April
18, 1999
Bay Area Paul Robeson
Centennial Committee presents “An Afternoon
Social and Musical Event in Honor of Paul Robeson,” with basso Macatee
Hollie, at the Berkeley Friends Church, Berkeley, CA.
May 6, 1999
Hunterdon Central Regional
High School, Flemington, New Jersey, hosts
“Meet Paul Robeson,” a dramatic presentation by actor and singer Marvin
Jefferson, and dialogue with Lloyd Brown.
June 1-September 30, 1999
The Museum of the City of New
York hosts the final leg of the Rutgers
University Exhibition, “Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen.”
June
13, 1999
The New York City Labor Chorus
performs concert in tribute to Robeson,
at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City.
September 4, 1999
“Paul Robeson Remembrance and
Reconciliation Ceremony,” 50th
anniversary commemoration of the 1949 “Peekskill riots” in Cortlandt,
Westchester County, NY, includes speakers Paul Robeson, Jr., folk
singer Peter Seeger and several local elected officials.
October 28, 1999
“Paul Robeson’s Identities,” a
symposium sponsored by the American
Studies Association is held in Montreal, Canada.
April 8, 2000
The Ontario Public Service
Employees Union presents its Stanley Knowles
Humanitarian Award to Paul Robeson in memoriam, at celebration in
Toronto.
November 28, 2000
“Paul Robeson: Voice for the
Millennium,” features Whitney Houston,
Avery Brooks, Ossie Davis, Paul Robeson, Jr., James Earl Jones, Lynn
Whitfield, Branford Marsalis and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the
Dance Theatre of Harlem, New Hope Gospel Youth Choir, Cwm Back Welsh
Choir, Marble Collegiate Community Mass Choir, held at the New Jersy
Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ, sponsored by The Paul Robeson
Foundation, New Jersey Public Television and Menair Media
International. Honorary Co-Chairs include Harry Belafonte, (former New
York City Mayor) David Dinkins, Toni Morrison, Christopher Plummer,
Sidney Poitier, Pete Seeger, Joanne Woodward. Over 1,800 attend;
tickets range from $75-$1,000, with proceeds going to benefit
inner-city students of Rutgers University and the Paul Robeson
Foundation Educational Mission. The concert is preceded by the first
Paul Robeson Humanitarian Awards Dinner, projected to be an annual
event, where awards are presented to eight individuals from fields
reflecting Robeson’s principles, including (former New York City Mayor)
David Dinkins.
January 7, 2001
“The Athletes I Most Admire,”
adaptation of section from autobiography
of sportswriter Dick Schaap, in Parade Magazine of The Oakland Tribune,
refers to Robeson as “the greatest athletic over-achiever I ever met,
even if I met him only once and only briefly.”
February 25, 2001
“Paul Robeson: a voice of
courage in a time of shame,” is the sermon
delivered by the Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Robinson, at the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Greater Lansing (MI); printed from the
Internet.
March 24-June 3, 2001
“Let Paul Robeson Sing!”
exhibition is held at the Welsh National Museum and Gallery, Cardiff,
Wales.
April, 2001
The Paul Robeson Foundation
publishes Study Guide, “Paul Robeson: A
Century of Greatness,” including 23 lessons with discussions and
activities, and more than 200 articles, quotations and
documents.
May/June 2001
Harry Belafonte, in cover
story and interview in Modern Maturity
magazine, states, in relation to Paul Robeson, “He was the strongest
male force in my life. I loved him. He knew who he was and what he had
to do, and he did it at great cost to his career. He became a model of
what I would do with my life.”
October 3, 2001-October 6, 2002
“Let Paul Robeson Sing!”
year-long exhibition is held at the Theatre
Museum, in Covent Garden, London, with workshops and programs.
April 13, 2002
The 5th Annual “Paul Robeson
Peace and Justice Awards” is held by Mothers for Police Accountability,
Seattle.
April 27, 2002
Celebration ceremony for the
naming of the Paul Robeson Oakland Unified
School District Administration Building, Oakland, CA.
May 18, 2002
Concert is held at Peace Arch
Park, on US-Canada border, north of
Blaine, WA, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Robeson’s concert at
the same spot on May 18, 1952. The 2002 event is organized by the
Solidarity Notes Labour Choir, of Vancouver, BC, and the Seattle Labor
Chorus, with special guest, actor and political activist Danny Glover
reading Robeson’s May 18, 1952 speech.
October 10, 2002
The English Heritage Blue Plague for Paul Robeson is unveiled by Dame
Cleo Laine, at his former residence (1929-1930) in London.
January 15-18, 2003
Avery Brooks performs in play
“Paul Robeson,” by Phillip Hayes Dean, at
the Aaron Davis Hall, Harlem Center for the Performing Arts.
January 18-March 1, 2003
“A Bountiful Legacy,” exhibit
on Paul Robeson is held at Fetterly Gallery. Vallejo, CA.
February 23, 2003
“Paul Robeson and The Negro
Spirituals: An Educational Forum” is
presented by Professor Sterling Stuckey at the West Oakland Senior
Center, Oakland, CA, sponsored by the Friends of Negro Spirituals.
April 13, 2003
Berkeley Fellowship of
Unitarian Universalists holds Sunday morning
service in tribute to Robeson’s 105th birthday.
June 30, 2003
Danny Glover performs in
“Randolph and Robeson: Laboring For Our
Rights,” theatrical readings based on the words of A. Phillip Randolph
and Paul Robeson, at Carnegie Library, Atlantic City, NJ.
September 29, 2003
News conference at Columbia
University, NYC, unveils the image of the
Robeson stamp to be released by the United States Postal Service in
January 2004.
January 20, 2004
Princeton University,
Princeton, NJ and the United States Postal
Service hold Stamp Unveiling Ceremony for the “First Day of Issue” of
the Paul Robeson Commemorative Stamp.
January 24, 2004
“Singer, actor, athlete and
civil rights activist Paul Robeson gets
stamp,” article appears in The Chicago Crusader on the issuance of the
stamp and the event on January 26.
January 25, 2004
Paul Robeson Stamp Unveiling
Ceremony is held at the Paul Robeson Theater, South Shore Cultural
Center, Chicago
January 26, 2004
Paul Robeson Stamp Unveiling
Ceremony is held at the Paul Robeson High School, Chicago.
February 1, 2004
· The Palm Beach Post (FL)
publishes 3-page article, “Paul Robeson, A
man of conviction and controversy.” · “Stamp of Approval,” a two-page
article on the national campaign for a postage stamp in Robeson’s honor
and its issuance, appears in the Forest Park Review, Forest Park, IL.
February 4, 2004
“Stamp of Approval,” a
two-page article on the campaign and the
issuance of the Paul Robeson Commemorative Stamp, appears in the Forest
Park Review, Forest Park, Illinois.
February 18, 2004
Merritt College, Oakland, CA,
hosts a Stamp Unveiling Ceremony in honor
of the issuance of the Paul Robeson Commemorative Stamp, with special
guest speakers Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Willie Adams,
Secretary-Treasurer of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union
(ILWU), and cultural performances by Merritt students and the Vukani
Mawethu, a Bay Area community choir. Event is sponsored by Merritt
College, the Oakland District of the United States Postal Service and
the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
February 19, 2004
Bay View Hunters Point Post
Office holds Paul Robeson Stamp Unveiling
Ceremony, with keynote speaker San Francisco District Attorney Kamala
Harris, performances by four school and community choirs, and a duet
from the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee.
February 26, 2004
· Black Faculty and Staff at
California State University Hayward holds
Paul Robeson Stamp Unveiling Ceremony as benefit for its “Upward Bound”
Scholarship Program.
· Stamp unveiling ceremony is held at Main Post Office, Montgomery, AL.
March 26 and 28, 2004
“Paul Robeson: Here I Stand,”
the 1999 PBS documentary, is screened at the Cinema Arts Centre,
Huntington, NY.
April 25, 2004
“Paul Robeson, Civil Rights
and Brown vs. Board of Education,” a
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court
decision desegregating America’s public schools, at Los Angeles
Southwest Community College, sponsored by the Paul Robeson Community
Center.
May
13, 2004
Willard White performs concert in tribute to Robeson, at Royce Hall,
University of California, Los Angeles.
April 8 - August 26, 2006
Multi-media exhibit, “Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest,” is
held at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO),
Oakland, CA.
March 31 - April 30, 2008
Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee holds month-long exhibit,
“Paul Robeson, A Hero For All Time,” in celebration of Robeson’s 110th
Birthday, at Oakland City Hall. Reception on April 9 features Mayor Ron
Dellums, Clarence Thomas, of ILWU Local 10, Tayo Aluko, soloist from
Liverpool, England and Vukani Mawethu Choir.
April
10, 2008
Tayo Aluko makes his Bay Area debut of his award-winning play, Call Mr.
Robeson, at the Exit Theatre, San Francisco. This one-man dramatic and
musical show is “a roller coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable
and eventful life, and highlights how his radical activism caused him
to be disowned and disremembered, even by the leaders and descendants
of the civil rights movement.
September 5, 6, and 7, 2008
Tayo Aluko returns to the Bay Area with his Call Mr. Robeson, for three
nights at the Phoenix Theatre, San Francisco.
September 18, 19, and 20, 2008
The Eugene O’Neill Festival stages All God’s Chillun Got Wings, at the
Village Theater, Danville, CA, also screening the documentary on
Robeson, Tribute to An Artist, prior to each performance of the
play.
September 18 - 21, 2008
The Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee’s exhibit, “Paul
Robeson, A Hero For All Time,” is on display at the Pioneer Gallery,
Danville, CA, in conjunction with the Eugene O’Neill Festival.
January
18, 2009
Robeson scholar, Professor Paul Von Blum, of UCLA, delivers lecture, “A
King and an Emperor,” highlighting the commonalities between Dr. King
and Paul Robeson, at the Oakland Museum.
January
21, 2009
The Eugene O’Neill Foundation presents its Tao House Award to Paul
Robeson. The annual award, established in 1989, is presented to
individuals who have “served the cause of the American Theatre with
distinction,” the first recipient being Jason Robards, and this year
marking the first time the award is given posthumously. Paul Robeson,
Jr., aged 81 and residing in New York, travels across the country to
accept the award.
February 6, 8, and 13, 2009
Tayo Aluko performs his new work, Discovering Robeson, at San Jose City
College Theatre, La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, and San Jose
State University, to audiences of over 200 at each venue.
February
15, 2009
Tayo
Aluko reprises his play Call Mr. Robeson, at the Black Repertory
Theatre, Berkeley, with over 300 in attendance, despite a heavy
rainstorm and freezing temperature.
February 20, 21, and 22, 2009
Tayo Aluko returns Call Mr. Robeson to the Phoenix Theatre, San
Francisco.
May
2, 2009
Maestro Michael Morgan, Music Director and Conductor of the Oakland
East Bay Symphony, presents “A Forum on Race Relations in Art,” based
on the issues raised in Show Boat and Othello, with much of the focus
on Paul Robeson’s starring roles in those works and the relevance of
his activism for the struggles against racism and bigotry today.
Musical Director John Kendall Bailey moderates; panelists include
Robeson scholar, Professor Paul Von Blum, of UCLA; Professor of
Sociology, G. Reginald Daniel, of UC Santa Barbara; and Professor
Rachel F. Moran, of UC Berkeley Law School and UC Irvine School of
Law.
May
15, 2009
The Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Oakland Symphony Chorus perform
the music of Show Boat. A narrative, provided by the Bay Area Paul
Robeson Centennial Committee, on how Robeson changed the lyrics of “Ol’
Man River” over the years, transforming the song from a bitter lament
into a fighting protest, is inserted into the printed program.
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