Paul Robeson Institute

Paul Robeson: Activist, Artist, Athlete, Orator, Scholar, Statesman
Paul Robeson, the son of a runaway slave, became in his time one of the best known men in the world. He grew up in the Raritan Valley Community College area.
An outstanding student and orator, Robeson was valedictorian of his graduating classes at Somerville High School and at Rutgers University. He excelled as an athlete at both institutions.

Widely honored and acclaimed as an actor on stage and screen, Robeson also was a noted concert artist. He often used the folk songs of varied peoples as vehicles for social protest and political activism.

Robeson left a legacy of achievement, courage, integrity and leadership. His commitment to equality and social justice for all people and his strong support for political causes defined his life and endeared him to the world.

A great amount of information on resistence to slavery and oppression is available online Just a small number of applicable web sites are listed below. Many of them provide links to related sites, including the Public Broadcasting System stations and their programs, the History Channel and National Geographic.


PAUL ROBESON, BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books by and about Paul Robeson
A comprehensive bibliography of books for adults and children about and by Paul Robeson and his life.


The WILLIAM M. HUNDLEY COLLECTION
Books, videos and other research materials, donated by William “Buzzy” Hundley, a member of the Paul Robeson Institute Advisory Committee, are available in the Paul Robeson Institute Resource Room at the Evelyn S. Field Library. The collection is available to the community for reference and research.


The LEARNING PAGE - click here
From Slavery to Civil Rights: A Timeline of African-American History (interactive)


CURRICULUM GUIDE
The New Jersey African American History Curriculum Guide, Grades 9 to 12
This valuable curriculum guide, authored by Larry A. Greene, Ph.D. and Lenworth Gunther, Ph.D., integrates the historical experiences and contributions of African Americans into the full spectrum of American history programs at the secondary level. Created to fulfill requirements of legislation passed in 1988 which authorized the New Jersey Historical Commission to create these materials, the guide is now available in this digital format.

WEBSITES
African American History Digital Library
This vast directory of online resources addressing the full spectrum of African American history provides access to documents, research collections, museum collections, pamphlets and literature, newspaper archives, and exhibitions by major institutions.

Center for Anti-Slavery Studies
The Center for Anti-Slavery Studies provides an extensive listing of web sites related to the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery movements in Pennsylvania and other states in the nation. Web sites offering student activities and lesson plans are specially marked.

Jim Crow
The January 2006 issue of neatoday, describes this web site as “The History of Jim Crow, an online exhibit sponsored by New York Life, takes the viewer on a tour of the origin of Jim Crow, and the struggles of a people to survive, resist, and overcome oppression. You’ll also find literature, eye-witness accounts, maps, image galleries and other resources that explore segregation, disenfranchisement, and violence that lay at the heart of the Jim Crow experience. Many teacher-created lesson plans are available.” The website was originally created in support of the PBS series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow.

Library of Congress
Two online exhibitions, The African American Mosaic: African American Culture and History and The African American Odyssey: a Quest for Full Citizenship, lead the searcher to primary and secondary sources for the study of black life and culture. The Library’s vast collections of papers, pamphlets, government documents, manuscripts, photographs, plays, films and recordings provide infinite research materials.

Menare Foundation
The Menare Foundation was founded by historian Anthony Cohen, who has physically retraced two Underground Railroad (UGRR) routes into Canada that were taken by slaves making their escapes from Maryland and Alabama. On one trek, Cohen recreated the ingenious Henry “Box” Brown escape. The foundation is dedicated to identifying and preserving the legacy and sites of the UGRR and operates Cooling Springs Farms, a verified safe house.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
This large, Harlem-based research division of the New York Public Library holds one of the largest collections of materials related to the history of peoples of African descent around the world. The Lest We Forget: the Triumph Over Slavery and other online exhibits are useful to educators.

Teaching Tolerance
The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to eradicating hate and intolerance through education and litigation. It offers much fine, free print, media and online materials to educators, K-12, including its magazine, Teaching Tolerance, and a free subscription to its online curricular materials. The Center responds quickly through its web site to current issues, such as the Jena 6 case, providing teaching materials that can be used with students.

University of Washington Libraries
The University of Washington Libraries provide an excellent, annotated listing of links to web sites related to African American history, grouped by subject areas – General History, Civil War and Slavery, Civil Rights, Sites Arranged Chronologically, and Biographies. This very valuable resource directs attention to many types of materials and access to archives and exhibits created by major institutions.