Paul Robeson is getting a statue in Somerville: 'One of the 10 most important Black men'
Somerville officials are asking for proposals to honor one of the borough’s most famous residents with a downtown statue.
The Downtown Somerville Alliance (DSA), in partnership with Somerset County and Somerville Borough, is asking artists to submit proposals for a life-size sculpture honoring Paul Robeson, an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, author and political activist.
Though he was born in Princeton, where his father was a minister, Robeson grew up on Davenport Street in Somerville. He graduated from Somerville High School in 1915 and became the first Black football player at Rutgers. Robeson, who was only the third Black person to enroll at Rutgers, was elected valedictorian of his class.
After Rutgers, Robeson earned his law degree from Columbia University while playing professional football in the American Professional Football League, using the money he earned to pay his tuition.
Robeson then became actor, singer and lecturer, starring on Broadway and in the movies. He starred in plays – "The Emperor Jones," "Othello," "Showboat" and others but was most renowned for his performance of "Ol' Man River" from "Showboat" in a 1936 film of the musical.
"We are resolute in our commitment to create a program that not only pays tribute to Paul Robeson's rich legacy but also reclaims him as a son of Somerville," said Natalie Pineiro, downtown managing consultant for the DSA. "This sculpture will stand as a testament to the values of diversity, inclusivity, and unity that we hold dear as a community."
The DSA is encouraging submissions from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists and will prioritize their proposals for this project.
Guidelines for submissions include:
A detailed proposal outlining the artist's creative concept, approach and vision for the sculpture;
Visual representations such as sketches or images to vividly convey the artist's ideas;
A comprehensive budget and project timeline;
An artist biography or resume highlighting relevant experience and previous public art projects.
Proposals must be submitted to the DSA by Sept. 15. They can be submitted via mail to Downtown Somerville Alliance, 50 Division St, Ste. 501, Somerville, NJ 08876 or emailed to npineiro@somervillenj.org .
Robeson's career was stifled in the late 1940s when he was targeted by anti-Communist zealots, including Sen. Joseph McCarthy, for his Black nationalist and anti-colonialist activities. His passport was revoked, and he was blacklisted in Hollywood.
Lloyd Brown, a writer and colleague, once wrote that "Paul Robeson was the most persecuted, the most ostracized, the most condemned black man in America, then or ever.”
Though his passport was returned in 1958 and he was able to travel to Europe to perform, Robeson's career was permanently damaged, and he suffered from bouts with depression.
He lived in self-imposed seclusion in Philadelphia until his death in 1976.
Ebony Magazine called Robeson "one of the ten most important black men in American history." Rutgers named three buildings for him – a library on the Camden campus, a student center on the Newark campus and the Paul Robeson Cultural Center on the New Brunswick campus.
In Somerville, a street in the new Somerville Station community has been named after him as has the block of Davenport Street between High and Cliff streets where he grew up.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Paul Robeson, a Somerville NJ grad, getting a statue downtown
