Paul Robeson

He started dating Eslanda Essie Goode in 1920. A year later, the two went into the wedlock. The couple was blessed with their first child Paul Jr.

The marriage went into a troubled phase as he allegedly got involved in extra-marital relationships. It was an affair with Ashcroft that finally made the wedlock hit rock bottom.

The two split up and filed for divorce. However, following an advice by his former football coach, he gave up on his relationship with Ashcroft and reconciled with Essie for good.

Paul Robeson was the youngest of the five children born to Reverend William Drew Robeson and Maria Louisa Bustill. His father served as a minister at Princeton's Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.

Upon the resignation of his father from the duties of the rector and the death of his mother in a house fire, young Robeson lived a life of poverty and hardship.

Robeson attended Somerville High School, Somerville, New Jersey. Gifted with an athletic bod and being a sports enthusiast, he excelled at various games such as football, basketball, baseball and track. Here, he also performed in Julius Caesar, Othello and sang in the chorus.

He won an academic scholarship to Rutgers University and in 1915, became the third African-American to study at the prestigious university. At the college, he excelled in extra-curricular activities by joining the debate team, the Glee Club and collegiate athletic team. He was recognized for his academic, singing and athletic talent.

In 1919, he graduated from the university with four annual oratorical triumphs and varsity letters in various sports. He served as a class valedictorian. Both athletically and academically, he excelled with top scores/grades.

After the completion of his degree, he took up a job in law but gave up the same due to extensive racism prevalent in law firms. He switched to take up acting as his profession.

His early roles include that of Jim in Eugene O'Neill's ‘All God's Chillun Got Wings’ and as Brutus in the revival of ‘The Emperor Jones’. Both the roles received positive critical comments and were very well received.

The early success brought him to instant limelight and fame. The stardom further amplified as his wife quit her job to serve as his agent. She earned him his first movie role in the silent film, ‘Body and Soul’

Other than working as an actor, he sang spirituals in charity concerts. It was due to this performance that he clubbed with Lawrence Brown and Roland Hayes to ad-lib a set of spirituals. His soulful renditions earned him a contract by Victor Records.

In 1928, he returned to acting, playing the role of Joe in the American musical, ‘Show Boat’ at the Theatre Royal. The show lasted 350 performances, thus becoming the most profitable venture

In 1952, he was conferred with the International Stalin Prize by the USSR.

Posthumously, he received a number of awards such as an Academy Award, Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, Donaldson Award, Springarn Medal and so on.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995