Paul Robeson was the first black performer who attained an international reputation stating with his 1925 performance in Eugene O'Neill's play EMPEROR JONES. He was a multi-talented man: football player, attorney, actor, singer. All of this at a time in the United States when segregation of the races was at its highest level (including even the slavery and post-Civil War era). There was one problem from the viewpoint of many people: He was an unabashed supporter of the Russian Revolution. During the McCarthyite witch-hunt red-baiting period following World War Two, Robeson could get few bookings in the United States, but many opportunities overseas. One difficulty: The State Department suspended his passport on the grounds that he might speak out against United States foreign policy. He became a hero to many blacks but died in relative obscurity in 1976 at the age of 78. There were no great parades nor outpourings one-way-or-the-other. One would have to stretch things to parallel his experiences with those of Marlene Dietrich. Robeson maintained a continuing relationship with his homeland, that's perhaps why he was such a thorn. Cal Pryluck <PRYLUCK@TEMPLEVM> Dept of Radio-Television-Film <[log in to unmask]> Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122