

PAUL BUHLE, retired Senior Lecturer at Brown University, is the authorized biographer of Pan African giant, C.L.R. Study guide for Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson (). This graphic biography will enable all kinds of readers-especially newer generations who may be unfamiliar with him-to understand his life’s story and everlasting global significance.īallad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson is published in conjunction with Rutgers University’s centennial commemoration of Robeson’s 1919 graduation from the university. Ballad of an American features beautifully drawn chapters by artist Sharon Rudahl, a compelling narrative about his life, and an afterword on the lasting impact of Robeson’s work in both the arts and politics. Later in life, he embraced the civil rights and antiwar movements with the hope that new generations would attain his ideals of a peaceful and abundant world. Robeson was a major figure in the rise of anti-colonialism in Africa and elsewhere, and a tireless campaigner for internationalism, peace, and human rights. Through his films, concerts, and records, he became a potent symbol representing the promise of a multicultural, multiracial American democracy at a time when, despite his stardom, he was denied personal access to his many audiences.

The host and producer of Rag Radio, Thorne Dreyer, is a prominent Austin-based activist and writer who was a pioneer of the ’60s underground press movement.The first-ever graphic biography of Paul Robeso n, Ballad of an American, charts Robeson’s career as a singer, actor, scholar, athlete, and activist who achieved global fame. It is streamed live on the Internet at and Radio Free America. Rag Radio is produced in the studios of KOOP 91.7-FM, an all-volunteer, cooperatively-run, solar powered community radio station in Austin, Texas, in association with The Rag Blog and the New Journalism Project, a Texas 501(c)(3) nonprofit. But in the '60s and '70s his physical and mental health deteriorated and he died of a stroke in 1976.

In many ways, he was erased from the history books, though he did have something of a comeback in his later years. Robeson, who was an anti-fascist political activist and a crusader for human rights, fell victim to McCarthy-era red-baiting because of his alleged communist sympathies. packed massive theaters and concert halls worldwide. He was a stage and film actor – identified with the Harlem Renaissance - and a recording artist who, with his rich bass baritone singing voice. Paul Robeson, the son of a slave, was a consensus All-American football player at Rutgers where he was also Phi Beta Kappa and valedictorian of his class.
