Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898 in Princeton, NJ. He attended Rutgers University, exceled and lettered in four sports, was on the debate team, and earned a Phi Beta Kappa key for scholarship. Trained as an attorney, Paul Robeson became a world-acclaimed actor and singer. He worked tirelessly for African-American civil rights, but as an avowed Communist later in his life, his tours and passport were cancelled by the U.S. government. Mr. Robeson died on January 23, 1976.
In 1939, renowned opera singer Marian Anderson performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial after being denied admission to Constitutional Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Over 75,000 people attended the concert; Ms. Anderson (February 27, 1897 - April 8, 1993) has been declared as having one of the most voices of all time.
