The artist who turned 'Ol' Man River' into a hymn of struggle
In 1937, moved by the Spanish Civil War, he permanently changed the lyrics of 'Ol' Man River': 'But I keep laughin' / Instead of cryin' / I must keep fightin' / Until I'm dyin'. In Wales he declared: 'The artist must take sides. I have made my choice. I had no alternative.'
American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, All-American athlete, and committed socialist activist. A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, he achieved global fame for 'Ol' Man River' in Show Boat and his landmark Othello. After visiting the USSR in 1934, he became a lifelong advocate for socialism and anti-colonialism, supporting the Spanish Republicans and leading the Council on African Affairs. During the McCarthy era his passport was revoked and he was blacklisted, but he refused to renounce his support for the Soviet Union. The Supreme Court restored his passport in 1958. His fusion of towering artistry and unwavering political commitment made him a symbol linking the Black freedom struggle with global anti-imperialism.
Career Timeline
- 1915–1919Rutgers College: twice All-American, class valedictorian
- 1919–1923Columbia Law School (LL.B.) while playing in the NFL
- 1924–1928Starred in The Emperor Jones; became Harlem Renaissance star
- 1928–1939Global fame with Show Boat; first Black Othello in Britain (1930)
- 1934First USSR visit: 'Here I am not a Negro but a human being'
- 1937–1939Supported Spanish Republicans; visited International Brigades; Council on African Affairs
- 1943–1945Broadway Othello: first Black actor with white cast; record 296 shows
- 1949Paris Peace Congress speech; Peekskill riots; blacklisting began
- 1950–1958Passport revoked; HUAC; founded Freedom; Stalin Peace Prize (1952)
- 1958Passport restored (Kent v. Dulles); published Here I Stand
- 1958–1960Comeback tours: Europe, USSR, Australia, NZ; Othello at Stratford
- 1961–1963Health breakdown; recovered at Buch Clinic, East Berlin
- 1963–1976Seclusion in U.S.; died of stroke complications in Philadelphia