Freedom Road Socialist Organization

A fighter for Black liberation,
revolution and socialism

Paul Robeson was born in 1898. His father had been born in slavery and had left the South by the time of his birth. Nevertheless, in youth he experienced the lacerating racism which faced African Americans everywhere in the US. By his teens he had become a determined enemy of oppression and a fighter for his people. Influenced by the Russian Revolution, he took up socialism and to his dying day in 1976 upheld it as the road to liberation for Black Americans and for all the world's peoples. His life was dedicated to the struggle and no hardship could batter him down, no bribe sway him from his course. His lifelong struggle helped set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the modern Black Liberation Movement, which changed forever the face of this country. Today, there are still deep lessons to be learned from his life.

Athlete, Law Graduate, Artist

Paul Robeson sometimes seems superhuman, too good to be true. He grew up at a time when the theory of Black inferiority was the most sacred myth in U.S. society, enshrined in law, government, employment, schooling, scientific theory, and popular culture. And U.S. society was organized to make sure this was a self-fulfilling theory. Yet this tall, powerful young man became one of two Black students at Rutgers College. He won fourteen varsity letters in four sports and became the first African American chosen for the All-American Football team. And he excelled academically despite some deeply racist faculty and fellow students, winning entry to and graduating from Columbia Law School.

A fighter for Black liberation,
revolution and socialism

Harry Haywood was born in 1898. His parents had been born in slavery and had left the South by the time of his birth. Nevertheless, in youth he experienced the lacerating racism which faced African Americans everywhere in the U.S. By his teens he had become a determined enemy of oppression and a fighter for his people. Influenced by the Russian Revolution, he took up socialism and to his dying day in 1985 upheld it as the road to liberation for Black Americans and for all the world's peoples. His life was dedicated to the struggle, and no hardship could batter him down, no bribe sway him from his course. His lifelong efforts helped set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the modern Black Liberation Movement, which have changed forever the face of this country. Today, there are still deep lessons to be learned from his life.