Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me: The Life of the Legendary Artist and Activist (Adapted for Young Adults)

Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Paul Robeson’s death, a young adult version of his life, based on the biography USA Today called ＂magnificent＂

＂A history of a global luminary figure that serves as a reminder of the courageous freedom-fighting work in front of us.＂
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Adapted from Martin Duberman’s ＂superb＂ (New York Times) biography of Paul Robeson, and featuring an introduction by award-winning young adult author Jason Reynolds, along with explanations of key terms and photographs from Robeson’s life, this is a thrilling addition to the young adult canon.

Paul Robeson was destined for greatness. The son of an ex-slave who upon his college graduation ranked first in his class, Robeson was proclaimed the future ＂leader of the colored race in America.＂ Although a graduate of Columbia Law School, he abandoned his law career (and the racism he encountered there) and began a hugely successful career as an internationally celebrated actor and singer. Robeson’s triumphs on the stage earned him esteem among white and Black Americans across the country, although his daring and principled activism eventually made him an outcast from the entertainment industry, and his radical views made many consider him a public enemy.

Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me is an introduction for readers in middle and high school to the inspiring and complicated life of one of America’s most fascinating figures, whose story of artistry, heroism, conviction, and conflict is newly relevant today.

Martin Duberman is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he founded and for a decade directed the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies. The author of more than twenty books--including Andrea Dworkin, Radical Acts, Waiting to Land, A Saving Remnant, Howard Zinn, The Martin Duberman Reader, and Hold Tight Gently, all published by The New Press--Duberman has won a Bancroft Prize and been a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in New York City.