A man of untempered courage, Robeson's political activism included rallying against segregation and lynching in the American South as well as his controversial support for the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin, which later led to investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee.

1915 Born in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1898, Robeson entered Rutgers in 1915. He was the quintessential scholar-athlete, and he became the first African American football player at Rutgers.

More than any other performer of his time, he believed that the famous have a responsibility to fight for justice and peace. Robeson was a national symbol and a cultural leader in the war against fascism abroad and racism at home. Paul Robeson passed away in 1976 at age 77.

In 1915, Robeson won a four-year academic scholarship to Rutgers University. He received the Phi Beta Kappa key in his junior year, belonged to the Cap & Skull Honor Society, and was the Valedictorian of his graduating class in 1919.

During his senior year at Rutgers, he wrote a thesis envisioning the 14th Amendment as a tool for establishing racial equality, and he delivered a commencement address calling on those of “the favored race” to support their African-American counterparts.

Robeson's main point was that World War III was not inevitable, as many Americans did not want war with the Soviet Union. Before he took the stage, however, his speech had somehow already been transcribed and dispatched back to the United States by the Associated Press.

Paul Leroy Robeson, Class of 1919 Valedictorian.

James Dickson Carr James Dickson Carr was the first African American student to graduate from Rutgers. He was born on September 28th, 1868, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Thomas Carr, a Presbyterian minister, and Mary Louise Sprigg Carr.

Paul Robeson was a famous African-American athlete, singer, actor, and civil rights activist. He inspired many people in the world and fought to end segregation and make peace.

I sent a message to the Bandung Conference and so forth. That is why I am here. This is the basis, and I am not being tried for whether I am a Communist, I am being tried for fighting for the rights of my people, who are still second-class citizens in this United States of America.

Robeson's travels opened his awareness to the universality of human suffering and oppression. He began to use his rich bass voice to speak out for independence, freedom, and equality for all people. He believed that artists should use their talents and exposure to aid causes around the world.

Paul Robeson on the power of the artist

• “Artists are the gatekeepers of truth.
• “Every artist, every scientist, must decide now where he stands.
• “As an artist I come to sing, but as a citizen, I will always speak for peace, and no one can silence me in this.” - Paul Robeson.