Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson as a scholar and athlete was a two-time All-American in football and baseball, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and valedictorian of his high school and college class. As an entertainer he starred in eleven movies, five Broadway musicals, and sang in sold out concerts throughout the world in twenty-five different languages. As a statesman he became known as the "citizen of the world," who spoke out whenever he saw social or racial injustices in any country, and spent his last years working with Albert Einstein to bring world peace. This magnificent African-American was able to do all these things during a time in America when most African-Americans were denied service at a local restaurant. "He was Michael Jordan before there was a Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson before Michael Jackson. He was also Muhammad Ali. He was the most famous, talented, and outspoken black person in the world, but today many don't really know him at all." (1999, Kane)
After excelling in high school, Paul Robeson went to Rutgers College on a four-year academic scholarship. While attending Rutgers he played football, baseball, basketball, and participated in track earning himself fifteen varsity letters. Robeson was a two-time All-American in football and baseball in 1917 and 1918. During his four years at Rutgers he also was elected to all the school's honor societies, which included being one of only four classmates selected to the Phi Beta Kappa his junior year. In 1919, his senior year at Rutgers, Robeson's hard work earned him the honor of being the valedictorian of his class. The speech he gave was full of wisdom beyond his years and time. He titled his speech "The New Idealism," in which he advocated to a majority white...
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...eople died to build this country, and I am going to stay right here and have a part in it just like you. And no fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear?" With those words Robeson made a decision that would determine his fate. He chose his principles and morals over his fame and fortune. After his trial, people were afraid to agree with him because they could be labeled a communist. Undaunted Robeson would continue to sing and speak out for all oppressed people, but sadly lost all real support in the U.S.
Paul Robeson was a genuine renaissance man. He was a brilliant scholar, accomplished athlete, dazzling singer, gifted actor, and an outspoken statesman. "Living life to its fullest" does not come close to describing the achievements that Robeson accomplished in his lifetime. There are few men that can compare to him and few men that ever will.
basic charge of this criticism can be stated in the words of a recent critic,
...upport of black nationalism and communism towards the end of his life. He is recognized as one of the most influential African American scholars of the 20th century paving the way for advocates of civil rights.
In this social movement it talks about people are not treated equally. This speech talks about how African Americans should not be slaves anymore. This speech talks about how he grew up in life listening to the president speak and how he gave all his speeches to the people of the United States. The theme of this speech is help others realize that we should help each other out. To protect, defend, and perpetuate slavery in the states where it existed Abraham Lincoln was not less ready than any other president to draw the sword of the nation.” (Frederick Douglass). (Frederick Douglass Cuts Through The Lincoln Myth To Consider The Man). This quote talks about how we should always protect each other and that Abraham Lincoln agrees on the fact that slavery should be put to an end. “When now it shall be said that the colored man is soulless that he has no appreciation of benefits or beneficiation, when to foul reproach of ingratitude is hurled at us, and it is attempted to, we may comply point to the monument we have this day erected to the memory or Abraham Lincoln.” (Frederick Douglass). (Frederick Douglass Cuts Through The Lincoln Myth To Consider The Man). ...
...pate in a society because of race and gender. While the Disquisition of Government, is seen as a great work in American politics, his views, political theory and ideology are off base to certain segments of the American population, and his thoughts would help to maintain slavery.
...e torture and pain of slavery, he had an excellent reason to fight for the abolitionist movement. He became successful in his fight against slavery. His works documented the rise of a slave to a free man, to a respected speaker, to a famous writer and politician.
In his speech, Frederick Douglass made it clear that he believed that the continued toleration and support of slavery from both a religious and legal standpoint was utterly absurd when considering the ideals and principles advocated by America’s forefathers. He began by praising the American framers of the Constitution, an...
...aged to create a legacy of greatness and unrelenting determination. Douglass served as an inspiration for many and he was able to continuously gain support for the abolitionist movement with his talent and passion as both a writer and public speaker. He took action and was able to bring attention to and create followers for his cause. The work of him and his fellow abolitionists helped end slavery in the United States. Without Douglass and others like him, it is questionable when and how slavery would have finally ended in America.
Who would think that a petty criminal would become one of the greatest leaders of civil rights movement of all times? A man named Malcolm X after spent six years in jail came to help black Americans fight for their civil right at the time of the oppression caused by segregation, injustice, and the inequalities. I say, today Malcolm X is recognized national by his speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” and he is celebrated on Black History Month, even though in the eyes of the white man, his speech was radical. Malcolm X speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” was a great speech because he connected well to his audience by showing anger, pain, injustice, fear and discrimination.
...ionary leader that this country needed but did not necessarily want. He was a controversial and compelling figure in American history. He grew up in harsh circumstances and had to fight his way out of hardship and peril. He used his time of incarceration as a point of reflection, opening himself to new ideas and philosophies. He was reviled by many for his ideas about the revolution against whites; he was also beloved by the African-American community because of his outright and passionate support for the equality of the minority, and the belief that blacks should have a place of power in American society. Malcolm X embodied what the civil rights movement represented and he should be considered as one of its greatest leaders because he helped shape the public’s understanding through his own experiences and his hard-won perspective, leadership, and sacrifice.
Asa Philip Randolph was born in 1889 in Crescent City, Florida, into a poor family (Sawinski). The Randolph family was strong on religion and education. Despite the family’s difficulties making ends meet, James William Randolph tutored his sons in reading and refused to use segregated facilities (Sawinski). In 1903, Randolph attended Cookman Institute, an all-black male Methodist school where he excelled. Randolph had a great mind when it came to coming up with ideas (McNeill). The college offered a free education for those with strong academic skills at college also Randolph was interested in politics and organized his own political group, the Independent Political Council (McNeill). He ...
During his time at Harvard he devoted much of his time to his social life and universities activities. He even was determined to become president of the campus newspaper. By 1903, Franklin had graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History from Harvard University in only three years. His next step was attending Columbia University in New York City, where he would study law. He never ended up finishing and getting his degree, instead he took and passed the bar examination and for the next th...
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great civil rights leader who gave his life in the name of freedom. The work of Martin Luther King, Jr. goes further than establishing peaceful social change strategies, he shaped America into the free country it is today. Before his protests in the south blacks, were treated like second rate citizens. It was uncommon to see blacks and whites using the same public restroom, or drinking from the same water fountain. Dr. King created a legacy that carried on far beyond his death. He had a dream that blacks and whites could live together in peace, free of segregation.
...ights. He challenged that the African-Americans were to be realized as American citizenry by right and be conferred upon all such rights as were envisaged to be theirs if at all there was to be enjoyment of civil liberties. He also opinioned that there was need to be genuine seek for the administration of the same as the then leaders were only seeking to confer the same rights and freedoms so as to woo the blacks to vote them back in power (Malcolm X, 1963). He recognized that there was an awakening amongst the blacks in their search for equal treatment and realization of political might (Malcolm X, 1963). He thus called upon the leaders to ensure that they were genuine if they wished to get the votes of the blacks as a bloc or else the blacks would awaken and put to power those they willed (Malcolm X, 1963).
The standout views and beliefs are what made Malcolm X one of the most prominent and fascinating civil rights leaders of the 1950's and 1960's. He was a man who told everyone exactly how he felt and reached a large audience of people. He was also very interesting in the sense that he was able to change his views after traveling out of the United States and realizing that it wasn't just white versus black but it was problem within American society as a whole. His message of equality is one that, although not immediately effective in his lifetime, helped pave the way for African Americans to live their life with many of the same advantages as what he considered White America.
Martin Luther King Jr. came from a middle class home with two loving and supportive parents. He was born in Georgia, January 15, 1929. Dr. King Jr. was one of three children. The impact he had on black and white audiences changed the way they viewed segregation and unity. He was such a revolutionary orator that he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King Jr. was the living definition of a prototypical nonconformist, which is a person who does not change their initial thoughts or actions based off of what others do. The reason prototypical nonconformist defines him so well is because his speeches were written to inspire all races, especially young African Americans to use non-violence to resolve any issues and to never lose sight of their dreams. His most famous “I Have a Dream” speech spoke about uplifting one another to help achieve each other’s goals with the absence of hatred and violence. He also brought forth the knowledge that God does not see any race more superior than an...