Paul Robeson was the epitome of the 20th-century Renaissance man. This handsome, eloquent and highly charismatic actor became one of the foremost interpreters of Eugene O’Neill’s plays and one of the most treasured names in song during the first half of the twentieth century. He also courted disdain and public controversy for most of his career as a staunch Cold War-era advocate for human rights. While the backlash of his civil rights activities and left-wing ideology left him embittered and practically ruined his career, he remains today a durable symbol of racial pride and consciousness.