Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me
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- Create Date：2021-06-07 08:51:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Martin Duberman
- ISBN：1620976498
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Summary
With a foreword by Jason Reynolds
The inspiring life and legacy of vocal artist and civil rights icon Paul Robeson—one of the most important public figures in the twentieth century—adapted for young adults by the acclaimed Robeson biographer
“As an artist I come to sing， but as a citizen， I will always speak for peace， and no one can silence me in this。” —Paul Robeson
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。 The predictions seemed to have been correct—Paul 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。
With the original biography lavishly praised， this will be a thrilling new addition to the young adult canon。 Featuring contextualizing sidebars， explanations of key terms， and photographs from Paul Robeson’s life and times， Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me will introduce 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。
The inspiring life and legacy of vocal artist and civil rights icon Paul Robeson—one of the most important public figures in the twentieth century—adapted for young adults by the acclaimed Robeson biographer
“As an artist I come to sing， but as a citizen， I will always speak for peace， and no one can silence me in this。” —Paul Robeson
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。 The predictions seemed to have been correct—Paul 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。
With the original biography lavishly praised， this will be a thrilling new addition to the young adult canon。 Featuring contextualizing sidebars， explanations of key terms， and photographs from Paul Robeson’s life and times， Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me will introduce 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。
Reviews
Mary
，
This is a book adapted for young readers from Duberman's longer biography。 We live in Princeton， New Jersey and drive down Paul Robeson Place so I thought I should learn more about this man。 I am so glad I did。 Now I need to go to Youtube and listen to him sing。 There are tragic aspects to Robeson's life。 He was marked by Hoover's FBI and denied a passport for several years。 He lived a long life but was not well in his later years--suffering from a bipolar disorder。 He wanted equal treatment for This is a book adapted for young readers from Duberman's longer biography。 We live in Princeton， New Jersey and drive down Paul Robeson Place so I thought I should learn more about this man。 I am so glad I did。 Now I need to go to Youtube and listen to him sing。 There are tragic aspects to Robeson's life。 He was marked by Hoover's FBI and denied a passport for several years。 He lived a long life but was not well in his later years--suffering from a bipolar disorder。 He wanted equal treatment for Negroes above all but was betrayed at times by others in the civil rights movement because of their fear of his association with the Soviet Union。 He said he never was a member of the Communist party but he affirmed the right of those who had political views on the left。 As I despair about some of the issues today about racial justice， I am saddened to read that 70 years after Robeson's death， some of the same battles are being fought。 。。。more
Ken
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I've enjoyed his movie， stage and singing life， but this book makes his life more revealing。 I knew nothing about his wife and son and this completes it for me。 I've enjoyed his movie， stage and singing life， but this book makes his life more revealing。 I knew nothing about his wife and son and this completes it for me。 。。。more
Jaime K
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I won this in a Goodreads giveaway， so I was interested in the information。 I don't always do well with biographies， but knowing this was a YA made it better。 Too， I've heard about Paul Robeson in bits throughout the years （mainly through a song from The World/Inferno Friendship Society） and wanted to learn more about him。I realized about halfway through that there was almost no emotion coming through。 I read as quick as I usually do， but I know I also missed a lot of information along the way。 I won this in a Goodreads giveaway， so I was interested in the information。 I don't always do well with biographies， but knowing this was a YA made it better。 Too， I've heard about Paul Robeson in bits throughout the years （mainly through a song from The World/Inferno Friendship Society） and wanted to learn more about him。I realized about halfway through that there was almost no emotion coming through。 I read as quick as I usually do， but I know I also missed a lot of information along the way。 The way in which the information was given felt like a much larger biography， those that drag me down。That could be me。But there are also random segues， like in one sentence talking about his doctors feeling positive about a recovery but the US Embassy in a country was less positive about it。 It was just an abrupt shift and the next paragraph began。That happens a lot。Still， I am very glad to have learned more about Robeson。 This is based on the biography written in 1989 by Duberman， and shows how much he wanted to fight against racial inequality from the start。 Robeson is in the history of the arts--sports， singing， and theater--as well as justice reform。 He used his status as a singer and actor to be focal and lead profound discussions。 Robeson grew up in Princeton， moved to NYC （Queens）， and then bounced between London and Russia。 He visited a lot of places around the world。Because no Princeton high school would allow blacks， he had to be bussed to "nearby" Somerville。Somerville isn't nearby， it's almost an hour away。。。。Anyway， he kept a lot of his pain inside and that eventually turned to anger， rage， and resentment， as it does。We learn how he gained interest in African culture， especially the influence of Central Africa on other countries。I love his Rutgers coach。He was turned on by Communist theory， though not the practice。 To be fair。 a lot of things are better in theory。He had very interesting insights on gradualism regarding desegregation （towards the end of chapter 12）。The aforementioned anger led to irrationality， depression， and mania。 And eventually a very sad decline。 。。。more
Written Melodies
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I first learned of Paul Robeson in college。 Since then， I've read a few books about him and a book of his speeches。 As much as I adore Paul Robeson， I could not get into this book; and abandoned it at 38%。 The book does a great job addressing Robeson's career， beliefs on monogamy， marriage， and political leanings; however， it was dry to me。 Although I personally did not like the book， I would buy it for my student library。 Thank you Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy for review。 I first learned of Paul Robeson in college。 Since then， I've read a few books about him and a book of his speeches。 As much as I adore Paul Robeson， I could not get into this book; and abandoned it at 38%。 The book does a great job addressing Robeson's career， beliefs on monogamy， marriage， and political leanings; however， it was dry to me。 Although I personally did not like the book， I would buy it for my student library。 Thank you Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy for review。 。。。more
Patti Sabik
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Well done but more for a high school collection。 I ended up skimming through this biography because I realized early on that it would not provide enough context for my middle school population to absorb the content。 I had no idea who Robeson was prior to obtaining this ebook， so I can only imagine my students would be starting with the same blank page。 Additionally， they have significantly less historical reference from which to lay a backdrop and gain context。 I was hoping for more explanation Well done but more for a high school collection。 I ended up skimming through this biography because I realized early on that it would not provide enough context for my middle school population to absorb the content。 I had no idea who Robeson was prior to obtaining this ebook， so I can only imagine my students would be starting with the same blank page。 Additionally， they have significantly less historical reference from which to lay a backdrop and gain context。 I was hoping for more explanation and framework in the way of pictures and sidebars to guide the reader。 。。。more
Jade
，
I had not read the original version of Martin Duberman’s autobiography of Paul Robeson， but if this adaptation for young adults is anything to go by， it is a great read！ Complete with a foreword by Jason Reynolds， Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me provides us with a detailed and interesting account of the highly inspirational artist and civil rights icon。 I love how the author seamlessly introduces contextual sidebars and explanations for different terms， events， and other important factors - I had not read the original version of Martin Duberman’s autobiography of Paul Robeson， but if this adaptation for young adults is anything to go by， it is a great read！ Complete with a foreword by Jason Reynolds， Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Me provides us with a detailed and interesting account of the highly inspirational artist and civil rights icon。 I love how the author seamlessly introduces contextual sidebars and explanations for different terms， events， and other important factors - they are super helpful and fit into the narrative perfectly。 I also love the comparisons between Robeson’s time and nowadays， showing areas where things have not advanced as much as we may think。While I knew a little about Paul Robeson before I picked up the book， I really had no idea of the extent of his accomplishments， or the extent of how he was persecuted for his convictions。 I also really appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from portraying Robeson as the complicated character that he was， making him all the more human， inspiring， and relatable。This would be a great addition to any school or classroom library， and for anyone with middle and/or high school aged kids！Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amanda
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This book is very informative。 However， the style in which it is written is very dry。 The quotes and the photographs really add to the book， helping the reader to visualize the historical context of the information。
Theresa
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Paul Robeson: No One Can Silence Meby Martin DubermanI chose this book to read during Black history month for a reason。 I did not know much about the life of Paul Robeson， an educated black artist in the film and music industry。 His political stance and his willingness to put everything on the line for political change is remarkable。 It was interesting to look into the history that made this well known remarkable man。
WallofText
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{Digital copy provided by NetGalley and The New Press}Having never heard about Paul Robeson， I couldn’t help requesting this book with its vivid cover and promising title。 What I received was a fascinating and accessible biography about one of the most prominent black actors， singers， and activists of the early 20th century， a complex， persecuted， and resilient man。 The writing style of this book is very lively and easy to grasp， if at times a little too explanatory on concepts that should be fa {Digital copy provided by NetGalley and The New Press}Having never heard about Paul Robeson， I couldn’t help requesting this book with its vivid cover and promising title。 What I received was a fascinating and accessible biography about one of the most prominent black actors， singers， and activists of the early 20th century， a complex， persecuted， and resilient man。 The writing style of this book is very lively and easy to grasp， if at times a little too explanatory on concepts that should be familiar even to a young adult audience。 While Robeson and various other characters who appear are not always sympathetic or relatable， great pains were taken to present a complete and overall fitting overview of the circumstances surrounding not only Robeson’s life in particular， but the general political and societal climate of the times。 This is a great books for readers who seek to gain a broader understanding of the civil rights movement and general fight for black equality in the early to mid 20th century as well as offering a new personal perspective。 。。。more
LeeAnn
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A great read。 Inspirational。 Powerful。 A biography for our times。Did I know who Robeson was before reading this？ Not a clue。 It was still interesting。。。 a story of one man， but the story of a people who need to be heard。
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 No One Can Silence Me is a biography written for older teens and young adults adapted from Duberman's 1989 biography covering the life of Paul Robeson。 Due out 9th March 2021 from The New Press， it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 This is a very well written and plainspoken recounting of the life of Paul Robeson。 The author has chosen to cover the subject roughly chronologically from Robeson's early life an Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 No One Can Silence Me is a biography written for older teens and young adults adapted from Duberman's 1989 biography covering the life of Paul Robeson。 Due out 9th March 2021 from The New Press， it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 This is a very well written and plainspoken recounting of the life of Paul Robeson。 The author has chosen to cover the subject roughly chronologically from Robeson's early life and upbringing， his time at Rutgers， through his burgeoning career， his wartime efforts， and his eventual declining health。 The book is illustrated throughout with photos and is very well annotated with ample chapter notes and resources for further reading。 There was a great deal about Robeson's life about which I was unaware。 I knew him mostly in his role as advocate and activist writer。 He was a renaissance man， a talented entertainer， intelligent and well spoken activist， a man with a definite eye for the ladies， well educated， athletic， urbane， and very intelligent。 He was （and continues to be） an important American in history and worthy of study。 The content contained here is mostly written in age appropriate language for older tweens/teens （12-18ish）。 He was a complex man and not a saint and I think the author gives a good overview of the highlights of his life and society at the time。 Four stars。 I would recommend it for public or home library acquisition， school use， supporting resource for American culture/history and allied studies。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusThis is an excellent young adult biography， but was not quite what I wanted for a middle grade biography。 This is an adaptation of a 1989 work that was constructed mainly from unpublished sources， so has a LOT of interesting information， and is very nuanced。 For example， Robeson has a troubled yet long lasting relationship with his wife， and we see that mentioned frequently in a very matter of fact way。 He also had some mental illness， and in his drive to fight fo E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusThis is an excellent young adult biography， but was not quite what I wanted for a middle grade biography。 This is an adaptation of a 1989 work that was constructed mainly from unpublished sources， so has a LOT of interesting information， and is very nuanced。 For example， Robeson has a troubled yet long lasting relationship with his wife， and we see that mentioned frequently in a very matter of fact way。 He also had some mental illness， and in his drive to fight for civil rights， did not rule out communism， which got him into a LOT of trouble in the 1950s。 High school readers will find it very interesting， and the presentation of so many facets of this athlete， singer， actor， and political activist set against the backdrop of the twentieth century civil rights movement was deftly supported by background information about the era。 For middle grade， I'm looking for more of a distillation of high points， a little more explanation of the era （most 11 year olds don't have a firm grasp of how wide ranging the communist witch hunts of the 1950s were， for example）， a few more pictures， and a more streamlined lay out of the person's accomplishments without quite so much of the controversial topics like the affairs and the treatment of his son。 。。。more
Jaleesa McKnight
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Thank you #NetGalley for this #ARCAdapted for young readers， the inspiring life and legacy of Paul Robeson is brought to life again。 His legacy of a vocalist and great civil rights activist is created using sidebars， explanation of key terms and photos from Paul’s life and time。 Paul Robeson from childhood was destined from greatness showing his great intellect， tenacity， boldness， conviction， complex temperament and passion for the rights and fairness of his people。 Becoming an international pu Thank you #NetGalley for this #ARCAdapted for young readers， the inspiring life and legacy of Paul Robeson is brought to life again。 His legacy of a vocalist and great civil rights activist is created using sidebars， explanation of key terms and photos from Paul’s life and time。 Paul Robeson from childhood was destined from greatness showing his great intellect， tenacity， boldness， conviction， complex temperament and passion for the rights and fairness of his people。 Becoming an international public figure he encounter many racial defeats， but invested in the future victories for African Americans。 Beating the odds his name became on the radar across country to country。Reading this biography it became clear that the terms and outcomes that Paul experienced is very relevant today。 His new role as an activist made him a target for persecution for his political views to which varied and changed as he traveled across the country and what he witnessed。 As he merged into protesting Jim Crow segregation policies; his entertainment career begin to see the effects with cancelled bookings， no sales， travel bans， music restricted， concerts rioted and destruction。 Over Paul’s lifetime he sacrificed himself， career， wealth and comfort he once enjoyed all for the wellness of his people。I believe him to be such a selfless man， who stood against the cruelty of even his own race and white power to push America into recognizing that the Black race is here and isn’t going anywhere。 I recommend this book to be apart of middle and high school required readings as it provided a great example of our real History。 To read about an fascinating figure who story is inspiring yet complicated is indeed a thrilling new addition to literature。 。。。more
Kara
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