Description
Paul Robeson graduated from Rutgers College as class valedictorian and was a member of Cap & Skull & Phil Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School and played in the NFL. His theatrical career took off in 1925 after performing in Eugene O’Neill’s All God’s Chillun Got Wings, followed by silent film roles and later major motion pictures, musical theater, and films. His efforts to understand African history led him to study Swahili, and he became fluent in over 20 languages. Paul Robeson wrote a column in the newspaper Freedom, which he co-founded with W.E.B. Du Bois. Robeson had a 20-year friendship with Albert Einstein.
Paul’s father, Reverend William Robeson, was born into slavery on a plantation in NC in 1844 and escaped in 1860 via the Underground Railroad. His mother, Maria Louisa Bustill, the child of prominent black Quakers, was a teacher. Like his siblings, Paul Robeson was a high achiever in school and never stopped learning and advocating for equal rights throughout his life. Some of his political activism and public statements were controversial, and the FBI investigated him for decades. He was on the Hollywood Blacklist, which severely damaged his career. In 1950, the State Department revoked his passport for 8 years, but he defied the travel ban by performing on a flatbed truck at the US-Canadian border.
This Paul Robeson History Mug is part of our biographical series which includes many unique individuals who played an important part in molding our U.S. history.
The biographical History Mugs were created to teach and inspire individuals to learn about our diverse and interesting history. The biographies were researched and written by history enthusiast, Robert Compton. He colorized most of the historic photos and images used on the mugs, which were originally black and white or sepia tone. The images and biographies are imprinted on mugs at his studio in rural Vermont.
- Mugs are food and microwave safe.
- To preserve photographic quality we recommend hand washing.
- Mugs are usually shipped within 3-5 days.
