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Paul Robeson

No One Can Silence Me (Adapted for Young Adults)

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The inspiring life and legacy of vocal artist and civil rights icon Paul Robeson—one of the most important public figures in the twentieth century—adapted for young adults by the acclaimed Robeson biographer

"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

Paul Robeson was destined for greatness. The son of an ex-slave who upon his college graduation ranked first in his class, Robeson was proclaimed the future "leader of the colored race in America." Although a graduate of Columbia Law School, he abandoned his law career (and the racism he encountered there) and began a hugely successful career as an internationally celebrated actor and singer. The predictions seemed to have been correct—Paul Robeson's triumphs on the stage earned him esteem among white and Black Americans across the country, although his daring and principled activism eventually made him an outcast from the entertainment industry, and his radical views made many consider him a public enemy.

With the original biography lavishly praised in the Washington Post as "enthralling ... a marvelous story marvelously told," this will be a thrilling new addition to the young adult canon. Featuring a foreword by multiple award–winning author Jason Reynolds, Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me will introduce listeners in middle and high school to the inspiring and complicated life of one of America's most fascinating figures, whose story of artistry, heroism, conviction, and conflict is newly relevant today.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Cary Hite offers an engrossing and resonant performance of this young adult adaptation of the life of Paul Robeson. Due to his radical civil rights activism, Robeson's legacy as the first internationally renowned Black actor and singer has been largely downplayed. Listeners will follow Robeson's triumphs as an all-star athlete, valedictorian, lawyer, and stage actor, along with his struggles with mental health and personal relationships. Hite seamlessly emulates Robeson's signature baritone and adopts various global accents while quoting other famous figures while keeping a steady pace throughout his narration. This accessible audiobook will introduce younger listeners to a prominent historical figure who succeeded despite setbacks. An inspiring work that new generations of activists will savor. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 1, 1990
      ``This big, engrossing, empathetic biography by distinguished historian-playwright Duberman is a major act of cultural restoration, forcing a fresh confrontation with Robeson's often highly independent political stances as well as his artistic creativity,'' praised PW. Photos.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 1, 1989
      For millions of white Americans in the 1930s and early '40s, Paul = Robeson's success was a symbol that the American system worked. If this son of an ex-slave, this All-American football hero and concert singer could become a stage and screen starfamous as Othello and the Emperor Jonesthen couldn't any black person rise to the highest echelons through hard work? But when Robeson turned politically active, combining black militancy with support for the Stalinist Soviet Union and his own socialist vision, white Americaand many blacks tooturned their backs on him. The FBI kept him under close surveillance; the State Department restricted his right to travel. By 1960, he was branded as a public enemy, a Soviet apologist, and forced to the sidelines in civil-rights battles. His health and spirit broken, Robeson died in 1976, his reputation in eclipse. This big, engrossing, empathetic biography by distinguished historian-playwright Duberman is a major act of cultural restoration, forcing a fresh confrontation with Robeson's often highly independent political stances as well as his artistic creativity. Relying almost entirely on letters, diaries, interviews, FBI files and other primary sources, Duberman writes about Robeson's sexual affairs with white actresses, his shaky marriage, his deliberate cultivation of the image of ``natural'' actor and his fear that the U.S. would inherit the colonialist systems of Great Britain and France while its leaders pursued Cold War politics with the U.S.S.R. Photographs. 50,000 first printing.

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