THE BLACK AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: PAUL ROBESON / RICHARD WRIGHT

PAUL ROBESON was a celebrated African American Actor, Athlete, Singer, Writer and Civil Rights Activist.  Robeson's many achievements are chrolicled in this program, ranging from playing with the NFL to graduating from Columbia Law School, performing on Broadway and in Hollywood films to founding the American Crusade against Lynching as well as the Council on African Affairs.  Robeson was one of the most talented performers of his time and a dedicated humanitarian who ultimately sacrificed fame and fortune for what he believed in.  His association with Leftist Politics during the cold war era and frequent denouncing of American political parties led to his eventual blacklisting with other prominent writers and artists during the McCarthy Era.  His talents in all areas are remarkable, and his dedication to attaining a peaceful coexistence between all the peopleof the world is truly admirable.

RICHARD WRIGHT was an African American author of novels, short stories and non-fiction that dealt with powerful themes and controversial topics.  Born on a plantation in Mississippi, Wright was a descendent of the first slaves who arrived in Jamestown, Massachusetts.  This program follows his difficult path from sharecropper to literary giant.  Through authors like H.L. Menken, Sinclair Lewis and Theodore Dreiser, he discovered that literature could be a catalyst for social change.  In 1937, Wright moved to New York to continue his writing career and his writing began to receive national attention for its political and social commentary.  Much of Wright's writing focused on the African American experience.  His novel Native Son won him a Guggenheim Fellowship and was adapted to the Broadway stage with Orson Welles directing in 1941.

In 1946, Wright was fed up with America's treatment of Africans in America and moved to Paris, France.  Though he quit going to school at 15 years old, Richard Wright was a major influence on world literature and politics and brought the African experience to the forefront of social discussion.

Total Run Time:  70 minutes

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