Paul Robeson
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Watch the YouTube livestream HERE
Who is Paul Robeson?
Paul Robeson was born in Princeton, New Jersey on April 8th, 1898. He attended Rutgers University on a scholarship at the age of 17 in the Fall of 1915, and was the third African American admitted in the school’s history. While attending Rutgers University Paul Robeson earned 15 varsity letters in sports like football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was also a two-time All-American football player. Beyond his athletic achievements Robeson was a scholar and performer. Paul Robeson was a member of Cap and Skull, as well as Phi Beta Kappa, and was Valedictorian of his class in 1919. Paul Robeson was an unofficial member of the Glee Club, where he would perform solos with the group. Paul Robeson was also known for performing within and around New Brunswick and New Jersey while attending Rutgers University.
Paul Robeson & Rutgers
Paul Robeson’s legacy at Rutgers is important to remember and celebrate because of his various achievements as a renaissance man, in a time of segregation and Jim Crow laws. Robeson’s accomplishments at Rutgers have yet to be matched in even the slightest, as he is recognized as one of Rutgers greatest alumnus. Robeson’s legacy as a trailblazer and renaissance man helped open opportunities for more African American men at Rutgers and other predominantly white institutions. Paul Robeson is remembered through the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, as well as the Paul Robeson collection in the Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives. In 2019 Rutgers held an exhibition on Paul Robeson’s life and legacy, and completed the Paul Robeson Plaza on the College Avenue campus.
Panel Guests
Register for the Panel HERE | Watch the YouTube livestream HERE
Please join our panel discussion on April 5, 2021 at 6pm with this amazing group of scholars to discuss the legacy of Paul Robeson on folk music in New Jersey and around the world.
Jorge Arévalo Mateus, PhD
Jorge Arévalo Mateus, PhD, is an ethnomusicologist, co-founder of the Woody Guthrie Archives, and former director of the Alan Lomax Archive-Association for Cultural Equity. He is adjunct professor of Ethnomusicology and Race and Ethnic Studies at BMCC and Hunter College (CUNY). Jorge is an active musician, composer, music and radio producer, producing the weekly radio program and podcast,”Hurdy Gurdy Songs”, on Radio Free Brooklyn (https://radiofreebrooklyn.com/show/hurdy-gurdy-songs/).
Michael Gabriele
Michael Gabriele has written four books on New Jersey history, all published by The History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing. His 2016 book “New Jersey Folk Revival Music” explored the history of folk music in the Garden State, and included a chapter on Paul Robeson. A lifelong New Jersey resident, he’s a 1975 graduate of Montclair State University and has worked as a journalist, freelance writer, and author for 40 years. He serves on the executive board of the New Jersey Folk Festival; the Nutley Historical Society; the Theater League of Clifton; and is a member of the advisory board of the Clifton Arts Center.
Vincent Pelote
Vincent Pelote is Senior Archivist and Digital Preservation Strategist at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark. He has compiled discographies on Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, and a discography on the Commodore Records label. Mr. Pelote is one of the contributors to the Oxford Companion to Jazz. He has written a number of album program notes on Lee Konitz, Johnny Smith, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Carter, Curtis Fuller, and others. He has written book and sound recording reviews for the ARSC Journal and Notes: The Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association. He was one of the hosts of the radio program, “Jazz From the Archives,” which aired on WBGO-FM, National Public Radio (1979-2014).
Erika Gorder
Erika Gorder is Interim University Archivist and previously was Associate University Archivist at Rutgers University since 1998. She earned her masters degree in History and Archival Studies at New York University and MLIS degree from Rutgers University. Ms. Gorder is responsible for all operations of the University Archives from appraisal and description to research services and exhibition curation. The Rutgers University Archives serves as the final repository for the historical records of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Ms. Gorder has worked as archivist at the New Jersey Historical Society and Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies.
William Westerman
William Westerman is assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and coordinator of the Program in Ethnic and Immigration Studies at New Jersey City University. He also teaches in the New Jersey Scholars Program, and has previously taught at Princeton University, Goucher College, the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, Villanova University, and Rutgers. He has published articles on refugee studies, museum studies, social justice, critical pedagogy, and the politics of folk and traditional arts.
Shana L. Redmond
Shana L. Redmond is a public-facing scholar and the author of _Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora_ (2014) and _Everything Man: The Form and Function of Paul Robeson_ (2020), which was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR. In 2019 she contributed the critical liner essay to the vinyl soundtrack release for Jordan Peele’s film, Us (Waxwork Records). She is Professor of Musicology and African American Studies at UCLA.
Josh White, Jr.
Josh White, Jr., son of the legendary Josh White, has been performing as a singer, guitarist, actor, and social activist for 77 years. He has released 25 albums, starred in 4 TV Concert specials, toured the world greatest stages, and has been awarded a TONY Award for acting, named the Voice of the Peace Corps and the Voice of VISTA, and honored with several humanitarian awards. Most recently, he was seen co-starring last year in PBS-TV’s Centennial Concert Tribute to Pete Seeger.