Outspoken: Paul Robeson, Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show
March 27, 2024 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Paul Robeson was an extremely talented man who overcame many adversities. Born in New Jersey in 1898 to a father who was born enslaved but became a college educated minister and a mother from a Quaker background, his life circumstances changed when he was very young. His mother passed away, and his father lost his job. He was raised by a community of friends and family when his father had work to do. He followed his older brothers into sports, and had to deal with racism in his high school. He attended Rutgers university, but did not want to go into the ministry, studying law instead. He sang, and had a career in Hollywood until he became unhappy with the stereotypical roles he was expected to play. Leaving the entertainment industry, he became interested in politics at a time when McCarthy Era witch hunts caused him to be shunned. He felt he should not have to share all of his politics publicly, but supported Communism since in its purest form, it called for all people to be treated equally. He suffered a health crisis while in Russia that had suspicious origins, and spent the end of his life in ailing health. In recent years, his legacy has been much lauded.
Weatherford has included lots of details about Robeson's life in very poetic language. There is much more information than can be found in most picture book biographies, making this suitable for research projects as well as a selection for class read alouds during Black History Month.
Velzsquez's illustrations are realistic and show what the world looked like during Robeson's life. The attention to details in period clothing and backgrounds is evident; even the vintage football uniform and pads seem authentic to me. The page design is also good, with the text being in long, thinner paragraphs to blend in well with the illustrations.
It is good to see so many biographies of previously underrepresentsed people. While Robeson's involvement with Communism gave him trouble during his own lifetime, his reasons for investigating the philosophies are more clear through today's lens. Add this to a growing number of titles about civil rights activists like Wallace and Collier's Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement, Duster and Freeman's Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth: Educator, Feminist, and Anti-Lynching Civil Rights Leader, Barton and Walthall's Moving Forward: From Space-Age Rides to Civil Rights Sit-Ins With Airman Alton Yates, Vernick and Chapman's All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball, and Duncan and Bobo's Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
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