Here I Stand - (Beacon Classics) by Paul Robeson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Robeson's international achievements as a singer and actor in starring roles on stage and screen made him the most celebrated black American of his day, but his outspoken criticism of racism in the United States, his strong support of African independence, and his fascination with the Soviet Union placed him under the debilitating scrutiny of McCarthyism. Blacklisted, his famed voice silenced, Here I Stand offered a bold answer to his accusers. It remains today a defiant challenge to the prevailing fear and racism that continues to characterize American society.

Book Synopsis

The powerful memoir of the most celebrated and blacklisted Black American of the 20th century--offering a defiant challenge to the prevailing fear and racism that continues to characterize American society

A limited Beacon Classics edition, with a gorgeous spot gloss cover and retro, classic palette

Paul Robeson recounts his journey from star athlete to esteemed actor, singer, and civil rights activist, and the racism and political persecution he faced that attempted to silence him. In the first half of the 20th century, Robeson's international achievements in starring roles on stage and screen made him the most celebrated Black American of his day. But his outspoken criticism of racism in the United States, his strong support of African independence, and his fascination with the Soviet Union placed him under the debilitating scrutiny of McCarthyism.

A bold answer to his accusers, Here I Stand details how these challenges Robeson faced only strengthened his resolve to fight against injustice. In our own time of increased scrutiny and attempts to limit people's right to protest, Robeson's unwavering courage and commitment to his principles offers an inspiring model for how we all must continue to stand up for what we believe in.

Here I Stand is not simply a memoir, but a testament to the enduring spirit of resilience and resistance in the face of adversity.

Review Quotes

This amazing man, this great intellect, this magnificent genius with his overwhelming love of humanity is a devastating challenge to a society built on hypocrisy, greed and profit-seeking at the expense of common humanity. -The New York Times

"[Robeson's] nobility, his language, his encouragement and his praise put me forever in his debt because it inspired me fully . . . to be like him, and to use my life as he had used his, to put into it the commitment of the liberation of his people and all people." -Harry Belafonte in Restoring Hope

"Robeson's book is a perennial, first published in 1958, and now a voice from a different time. It anticipates for black persons the 'moral support of the American majority' with an intensity that now seems evangelical. It's full of a probably tragic hope. It should be read." -The Boston Globe

About the Author

Paul Leroy Robeson (1898-1976) was an American concert singer, recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar, and advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the 20th century. He gained international attention for his work in the arts and spoke out for the equality of minorities and the rights of workers throughout the world. His friendship with the Soviet Union plus criticism of the lack of progress in civil rights in the United States at the outset of the Cold War and McCarthyism brought retribution from the American government.