Paul Robeson was born in 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, the son of an escaped slave. He rose to unparalleled heights as an athlete, actor, singer, and activist, and was arguably the most prominent African American from the 1920s through the 1950s.

This work is a compilation of 18 essays presented in 1998 at a conference held at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus to honor Robeson's life and legacy.

The essays discuss his significance as a singer, his political activism, his efforts to achieve solidarity between African Americans and Jews, the important role played by his wife, Eslanda Goode Robeson, his founding of the Freedom newspaper during the Korean War, his contemporary relevance, and the way conservative Americans turned against him and tried to silence his voice.

Joseph Dorinson is a professor of history at Long Island University. He lives in Brooklyn. Also a professor of history, William Pencak teaches at Penn State University. He lives in University Park, Pennsylvania.