LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Paul Robeson Jr., distin-
guished author and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Paul Robeson Jr. died on Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the age
of 86; and
WHEREAS, Born November 2, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, to Paul and
Eslanda Robeson, Paul Robeson Jr. spent years in Europe before settling
with his parents in Connecticut; he was a member of the football and
track teams at Cornell University, where he received a Bachelor's degree
in Electrical Engineering in 1949; and
WHEREAS, During Paul Robeson Jr.'s childhood in the 1930s and 1940s,
his father was one of the country's first major African American stars;
a onetime all-American football player who briefly practiced law, the
senior Robeson appeared in movies, concerts and leading roles on Broad-
way; he was also an outspoken advocate for social and racial equality
and, in the 1930s, began to visit the Soviet Union; and
WHEREAS, Subsequently, between the ages of 9 and 11, Paul Robeson Jr.
lived in Moscow, where he became fluent in Russian; he later worked as a
translator of Russian-language scientific journals and began to emulate
his father's activism, devoting much of his life to protecting and
preserving his father's legacy and keeping his voice, both as a singer
and as an activist, alive; and
WHEREAS, In 1977, Paul Robeson Jr. led a high-profile campaign
denouncing a new biographical play about his father by African American
playwright Phillip Hayes Dean; more than 50 prominent black intellectu-
als, civil rights leaders and political figures, including Maya Angelou,
Coretta Scott King and Representative Charles Rangel signed an open
letter which ran as part of a two-page advertisement in VARIETY maga-
zine; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, in 1993, he published PAUL ROBESON JR. SPEAKS TO
AMERICA, a book in which he argued that the country's racial politics
should be viewed as a mosaic of distinct ethnic identities instead of as
a melting pot of many groups into one; and
WHEREAS, Paul Robeson Jr. released archival recordings of his father
and wrote THE UNDISCOVERED PAUL ROBESON, a two-volume biography; he was
a consultant on documentaries about his father's life, including an
"American Masters" film that premiered on PBS in 1999; and
WHEREAS, In addition, he directed a foundation which helped organize
archives and other artifacts related to his father, some of which are
housed at Howard University; and
WHEREAS, In an effort to tell what he felt was a fuller story of his
father's life, Robeson published THE UNDISCOVERED PAUL ROBESON, AN
ARTIST'S JOURNEY, 1898-1939, in 2001, and followed with THE UNDISCOVERED
PAUL ROBESON: QUEST FOR FREEDOM, in 2010; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his son, David Paul Robeson, Paul Robeson Jr.
is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marilyn Greenberg Robeson, his
daughter, Susan Robeson, and a grandson; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Paul Robeson Jr. leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Paul Robeson Jr., distinguished author and devoted
member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Paul Robeson Jr.