In 2013, the Democracy Now show Remembering the Overlooked Life of Eslanda Robeson, Wife of Civil Rights Legend Paul Robeson discussed the 2013 book Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson. The author of the book, Barbara Ransby, was interviewed. Eslanda attended the University of Illinois and won a scholarship to Columbia University where she graduated with a BS in chemistry. She also studied at the London School of Economics. 

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Eslanda "Essie" Cardozo Goode Robeson was the wife and business manager of singer and actor Paul Robeson. Her maternal grandfather was Francis Lewis Cardozo. Essie lived a colorful and amazing life. Her career and commitments took her many places: colonial Africa in 1936, the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, the founding meeting of the United Nations, Nazi-occupied Berlin, Stalin's Russia, and China two months after Mao's revolution.

Essie was a woman of unusual accomplishment — an anthropologist, author, a prolific journalist, actress, a tireless advocate of women's rights, a civil rights activist, an outspoken anti-colonial activist, and an internationally sought-after speaker. Yet, historians for the most part have confined Essie to the role of Mrs. Paul Robeson, a wife hidden in the large shadow cast by her famous husband.

In this masterful book, biographer Barbara Ransby refocuses attention on Essie, one of the most important and fascinating Black women of the 20th century. Chronicling Essie's eventful life, the book explores her influence on her husband's career and how she later achieved her own unique political voice.

 

Essie's friendships with a host of literary icons and world leaders, her renown as a fierce defender of justice, her defiant testimony before Senator Joseph McCarthy's infamous anti-communist committee, and her  marriage that endured for over 40 years — all are brought to light in the pages of this inspiring biography.
Essie's indomitable personality shines through, as do her contributions to the United States and 20-century world history.

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Paul Robeson

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When Essie married Paul Robeson, they toured the world and were freedom fighters for Black Americans, Africans freeing themselves from colonialism, the miners in Wales, the Spanish during the Civil War there, and all the world's peoples. 

 

The remarkable documentary Paul Robeson: Here I Stand shows that Robeson won a statewide academic competition for a full scholarship to Rutgers where he was the third Black person to attend and the only Black person on the football team! Robeson became the greatest football player in America! He earned 12 Varsity Letters in four sports at Rutgers -- four in football, three each in basketball and baseball, and two in track. He also received two All American citations for football! He sang in the glee club and was an outstanding scholar. In his junior year, Paul was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He was valedictorian of the class of 1919 and gave the commencement address at graduation. He won the Rutgers Oratorical Contest for 4 years straight! Following college, Robeson played three years as a pro in the American Professional Football League.

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When Robeson moved to Harlem to attend Columbia University, he was already a national hero. He made his Broadway debut in 1922. In London, Paul met pianist Larry Brown who became his life-long musical accompanist. Their first recording sold 50,000 copies in 4 months! Paul's son says in the documentary that Robeson was probably the third most popular radio artist in the US in the late 1920s and early 1930s. 

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Robeson was also a linguist -- fluent in 12-20 languages! He used his music, including concerts with Negro spirituals and folk songs of other countries, to make the point that all men are brothers. So, he used his music politically -- not just to entertain, but to educate. He was famous for his rendition of Ole Man River. Paul became a star on both sides of the Atlantic. He starred as Othello in London. He was embraced by high society, but also began to meet Europe's leading thinkers. In Europe, Robeson met the African leaders of the anti-colonialists movements. The documentary gives credit to Essie for much of Paul's success and questions whether he would have succeeded without her.
 

When Paul was performing in London, he learned about the plight of the miners in Wales who had marched on London. Many miners had been locked out of the mines and their families were on the verge of starvation. Paul arranged to have a trainload of food sent to them! He began to see himself as part of the "workers of the world". He went to Wales and made a film about miners.

When Paul sang in Russia, the audience was packed outside in the streets by the thousands! Paul went to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to support the fight against fascism. He sang in London to support the Jews fleeing Hitler because he could see the connection between their oppression and that of Blacks. When he returned to the US, Robeson had become one of the most famous singers in the world. 
 

When Paul sang The Ballad For America, the radio station said it received the largest audience response (calls and letters) of any show. He toured the country, performing. When Paul played Othello on Broadway in 1943, it had the longest run of any Shakespearean play on Broadway! The show toured the country for nine months -- refusing to play to segregated audiences which were the norm then.
 

In the 1940s, Paul was the most famous Black man in the world. He supported the unions across the country and fought for the rights of working people. He gave up his concerts for three years to fight for full citizenship for Black Americans! He was the chief spokesman for the crusade against lynching. The Robesons returned to Europe with much acclaim. When the Robesons returned to the US, Paul was again received at sold-out concerts across the country.