Paul Leroy Robeson (1898–1976) was an American concert singer, recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar, and advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the 20th century. He gained international attention for his work in the arts and spoke out for the equality of minorities and the rights of workers throughout the world. His friendship with the Soviet Union plus criticism of the lack of progress in civil rights in the United States at the outset of the Cold War and McCarthyism brought retribution from the American government.
