Lyceum Spotlights American Renaissance Man

The Kohlenberg Lyceum Series continues Nov. 1 with a tribute to American singer, actor and political activist Paul Robeson.

Robeson graduated as valedictorian from Rutgers University in 1919. He received a law degree from Columbia University and passed the New York State Bar in 1922. He was the first African-American lawyer hired by a New York law firm.

The son of a preacher, Robeson dreamed of a colorblind society. He spoke out against the Holocaust, visited the Warsaw ghetto in Poland, co-founded the Organization for African Unity with W.E.B. Dubois and pushed for the liberation of Africa.

Actor, singer and comedian Stogie Kenyatta will perform “The World is My Home: The Life of Paul Robeson” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium. In this performance, Kenyatta will bring his unique interpretation to the stage, where he majestically captures the essence of Robeson through an entertaining, laugh-out-loud, music-filled show. Portraying 14 characters, he chronologically takes the audience through the life of history’s first black renaissance man and one of America’s most complex and brilliant citizens.

Tickets for this performance are $10 and can be purchased now at the Truman cashiers window in McClain Hall or online at lyceum.truman.edu.