[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 511 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 511

 To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor 
                            of Paul Robeson.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 1996

   Mrs. Collins of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Clay, Ms. Norton, Miss 
Collins of Michigan, Mr. Stokes, and Mr. Towns) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform 
                             and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor 
                            of Paul Robeson.

Whereas Paul Robeson is perhaps the only true Renaissance man our century has 
        known;
Whereas Paul Robeson was an African American scholar, actor, singer, and athlete 
        who blazed a trail of accomplishment across American arts and letters 
        and sports in the first half of the 20th century;
Whereas Paul Robeson was born in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 9, 1898, to 
        William Drew Robeson and Marla Louisa Bustill;
Whereas Paul Robeson won a four year scholarship to attend Rutgers University, 
        where he became the first black All-American football player in 1917; he 
        also received 15 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball, and 
        track;
Whereas Paul Robeson was a debating champion, member of Phi Beta Kappa, and 
        valedictorian of his graduating class, he went on to attend and graduate 
        from Columbia Law School, subsequently playing professional football on 
        weekends to support himself;
Whereas Paul Robeson abandoned law and joined the Provincetown Players in New 
        York, where he caught the eye of Eugene O'Neill, who gave him the lead 
        in ``All God's Chillun Got Wings'' and ``The Emperor Jones''; his 
        untrained bass-baritone voice landed him the part of Joe in 
        ``Showboat'', where he was widely known for his performance of ``Ol' Man 
        River'';
Whereas Paul Robeson's most spectacular dramatic triumph was the portrayal of 
        Othello, on the Shakespearean stage. ``Othello'' ran for 295 
        performances on Broadway in 1943;
Whereas Paul Robeson espoused the principles of scientific socialism and 
        accepted the Stalin Peace Prize in 1952;
Whereas Paul Robeson was a vigorous opponent of racism, picketing the White 
        House, refusing to sing before segregated audiences, starting a crusade 
        against lynching and urging Congress to outlaw racial barriers in 
        baseball;
Whereas Paul Robeson was summoned before the House Committee on Un-American 
        Activities, where he refused to say whether or not he was a Communist;
Whereas Paul Robeson, in fighting for the rights and dignity of all Black 
        Americans, saw the Department of State revoke his passport: he was 
        subsequently blacklisted by concert managers;
Whereas the indignities which Paul Robeson suffered during the McCarthy era are 
        the types of actions the Constitution of the United States was designed 
        to prevent, Paul Robeson was denied this protection and sacrificed his 
        fame, fortune, and endured personal hardship to stand for the principles 
        he believed in; and
Whereas the ``Paul Robeson 100th Birthday Committee'', spearheaded by Dr. 
        Margaret Burroughs, founder of the DuSable Museum of African American 
        History in Chicago, Illinois, has targeted Robeson's centennial birthday 
        on April 9, 1998, for the publication of a commemorative stamp by the 
        United States Postal Service: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
a commemorative postage stamp should be issued by the United States 
Postal Service in honor of Paul Robeson; and the Citizens' Stamp 
Advisory Committee of the United States Postal Service should recommend 
to the Postmaster General that such a postage stamp be issued.
                                 <all>