Paul Robeson and His Beloved Wales

Paul Robeson - Black American actor, singer, athlete, and political activist, and Welsh national hero

Image of Paul Robeson: Geoff Charles (1909–2002)/Wikimedia Commons; Graphic: author’s own, made with Canva

1920s London. An unlikely meeting that would forge an unbreakable bond.

Let’s talk about a Black hero of the (mainly White) Welsh miners: Paul Robeson.

Some of the details are a little disputed — it’s become its own mythology over the years — but I’ve tried to go with the consensus, and there’re resources at the end if you’re interested to learn more!

(And yes, she’s talking about Wales again!)

Paul Robeson was a Black American actor, singer, athlete, and political activist — including Civil Rights and Socialist activism.

He is also a national hero here in Wales, especially among the older generations.

A man of many, many, talents, Paul was born in 1898, the son of a former slave, the Rev. William Robeson, and the Rev’s wife, Maria, in Princetown, New Jersey.

He had a Law degree from Columbia University, but found his career in showbiz taking off. Which is how he ended up…