Slide 4:
Paul Robeson’s father lived an amazing life of his own. William Drew Robeson was born into slavery in 1844, on the Robeson plantation. William Drew Robeson was a descendant of the Igbo People, an extremely indigenous and cultural tribe located in Southern Nigeria. With the aid of his brother, as well as many more, he was able to escape slavery when he was 15 years old through the Underground Railroad. He went on to become the minister at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, and soon after met his wife, Maria Louisa Bustill. Maria Louisa Bustill was also a descendent of the Igbo People, and worked as a Quaker school teacher.

Slide 5:
Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey. He was the youngest of five children, William Drew, Jr., Reeve, Ben, and Marian. Paul Robeson was born into extremely segregated times. In Princeton, blacks and whites were completely separated, and consequently, Robeson was not allowed to attend Princeton University. As a young child, Robeson began to excel in many fields. He was an excellent singer, athlete, would often beat his family members in checkers, as well as he loved to attend church and had a deep love for learning. However, when he was six years old his …show more content…
He had trouble balancing his school and rent bills, so he decided to play in the NFL. Additionally, he worked the night shift at the post office, sung at parties on saturday nights, and tutored children in Latin. In the NFL, he only played for one year however was one of the most dominant defensive ends. In, 1922, after only one year in Law School, Robeson had more than enough credits to graduate, and was shortly after hired at a Law Firm run by a fellow Rutgers Alum. Although Robeson excelled in the field, and displayed many promising skills, he quit in 1923 because of the relentless racism and discrimination he was forced to