Princeton, New Jersey on April 9th, 1898, Paul Robeson was
born to a former slave, the Rev. William Robeson. His mother, a teacher,
died shortly thereafter when he was only five years old. Three years later,
the Robeson family moved to Westfield, New Jersey. In 1910,
Robeson's father became pastor of St. Thomas A.M. E. Zion Church
and the Robeson family moved to Somerville, New Jersey. Paul Robeson
attended Somerville High School. There, Robeson excelled in sports,
drama, singing, academics, and debating. He graduated from Somerville
High School in 1915.
Robeson was awarded a four year academic scholarship to Rutgers University in 1915, the third black student in the history of the institution. Despite the openly racist and violent opposition he faced, Robeson became a twelve letter athlete excelling in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was named to the All American Football team on two occasions. In addition to his athletic talents, Robeson was named a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, belonged to the Cap & Skull Honor Society, and graduated valedictorian of his class in 1919.
He went on to study law at Columbia in New York and received his degree in 1923. There he met and married Eslanda Cardozo Goode, who was the first black woman to head a pathology laboratory. Robeson worked as a law clerk in New York, but once again faced discrimination and soon left the practice because a white secretary refused to take dictation from him.At this point in his life, Paul returned to his childhood love of drama and singing. He starred in Eugene O'Neill's All God's Chillun Got Wings in 1924, creating the starring role. While the racial subject matter of the play spurred controversy and protest, he went on to star in another play by O'Neill - Emperor Jones. Perhaps he is most widely recognized from the musical Showboat, where he changed the lines of the song 'Old Man River' to suit his philosophy because he felt the original lyrics were degrading. Three of the eleven total files he stared in included Body and Soul, Jericho, and Proud Valley.
His concert career reads like a world traveler's passport: New York,
Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Germany, Paris, Holland, London, Moscow, and
Nairobi. His travels taught him that racism was not as prevalent in
Europe as it was back home. In the United States, he couldn't enter
theaters through the front door or sing without intimidation and protest,
but in London he was welcomed with open arms and standing ovations.
Robeson believed in the universality of music and that by performing
Negro spirituals and other cultures' folk songs, he could promote
intercultural understanding. As a result, he became a citizen of the world,
singing for peace and equality in twenty-five languages.
Paul Robeson was an athlete, singer, lawyer, and actor; he was a man for all seasons who broke the color barrier many times. It is 1957 and Robeson invites us into his dressing room where he is holding a press conference before a performance. He relives major events in his life journey from his birth in 1898 to his current success. In 2004 Mr. Robeson was memorialized by a United States Postal Stamp as part of it's History Series.
Jonathon Thompson's powerful portrayal through storytelling, singing, and scenes from Othello allows us to experience history in a vibrant way. Student volunteers also participate in this 45 minute interactive performance.If you are interested in having Jonathan come and perform for your school, church, or special event, please E-mail Us.
Each performance will be tailored for age appropriateness, theatrical effect and maturity.
Come let students and faculty take a journey with Sam Jonas on the Underground Railroad.
Jonathan Thompson, playing Big Sam Jonas causes his audience to journey through a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and to Canada, the railroad was not run by any single organization or person. Rather, it consisted of many individuals –many whites, but predominantly black -- who knew only of the movement to aid fugitive slaves to a life of freedom.
This is a historical presentation of the struggles, efforts, and workings of the Underground Railroad, and one man's quest to gain freedom from slavery.Big Sam Jonas takes audiences on his road to freedom from the auction block, to life on the Hampton Plantation in South Carolina as a slave, and paints a living picture of life on the plantation.
Suggested Audience Age: 6 - and up
If you are interested in having Jonathan come and perform for your School or University, Church, or special event, please E-mail Us.Each performance will be taylored for age approperiatness, theatrical effect and maturity.
*This program would be a performance
*This program has been designed to appeal to young males. Although young ladies seem to enjoy it also.
*It best appeals to grades 1-6 Elementary
*It covers the wrestling from the early days of Egypt, American Slavery, the early days of collegiate wrestling, World War I, to the importance of the civil rights movement, and Indiana History.
*Bearcat also motivates students to get their education, have a positive attitude, learn life lessons, conflict resolutions, respect, and self-esteem principals.
Students will learn the importance of history no matter what the subject matter.
Edward "Bearcat" Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana,
that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although
suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his
stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright
defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title
and became, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion; in 1963 he
defeated 'Classie' Freddie Blassie to win the title of World
Wrestling Alliance.
"Bearcat" Ed Wright was one of the integral pioneers of black liberation in pro wrestling. He refused to face only 'other colored grapplers', taking on a multitude of opponents from every race under the sun. Surprisingly, promoters found the fans accepted this and no riots out of protest ever took place. In many respects he helped pave the way for the numerous black stars who would come later on, having prosperous careers handed to them on silver platters without ever realizing the tremendous prejudice those before them had faced.
Appealing to ages 5 and up, it covers the history of wrestling from the early days of Egypt, American Slavery, and the early days of collegiate wrestling, World War I, to the importance of the civil rights movement and Indiana History.If you are interested in having Jonathan come and perform for your school, church, or special event, please E-mail Us.
Each performance will be tailored for age appropriateness, theatrical effect and maturity.
George Washington Williams was born in Bedford
Springs, Pennsylvania on October 16th, 1849 to Thomas
and Ellen Rouse Williams. He was the eldest of four children;
his brothers were John, Thomas and Harry. He first coined the term
crimes against humanity after he witnessed the brutality of King
Leopold's Congo (1885-1908), in which 10 million people were
to lose their lives.
After a limited education and a stint in a "house of refuge" where he learned barbering, Williams enlisted in the Union Army under an assumed name when he was only 14 and fought during the final battles of the American Civil War. He may have been a deserter.
He went to Mexico and joined the Republican army under the command of General Espinosa, fighting to overthrow Emperor Maximizing. He received a commission as lieutenant, learned some Spanish, got a reputation as a good gunner and returned to the U.S. in the spring of 1867.Back home, he enlisted for a 5-year stint in the army and while in the Indian Territory, was wounded in 1868 . He remained hospitalized until his discharge.
Once back in civilian life, the young veteran decided to attend college and was accepted at Howard University. Records do not show his having stayed there very long and in 1870, he began studies at the Newton Theological Seminary.He met Sarah A. Sterrett during a visit to Chicago in 1873 and they were married the following spring. They had one son.
After graduation, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and held several pastorates, including the historic Twelfth Baptist Church of Boston.With support from many of the leaders of his time such as Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, Williams founder of The Commoner, a monthly journal, in Washington, D.C. He was only able to publish eight issues.
Williams moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he studied law. He later became the first African-American elected to the Ohio State Legislature, serving one term 1880 to 1881.In 1885 , President Chester A. Arthur appointed to Haiti. He never served.
In addition to his religious and political achievements, George W. Williams was also the author of A History of Negro Troops in the War of Rebellion and The History of the Negro Race in America 1619-1880, the first history of African-Americans.In 1889, Williams was granted an informal audience with King Léopold II of Belgium. At that time, the Congo Free State was the personal possession of the King. In spite of the monarch's objections, Williams went to Central Africa to see the conditions there for himself, from where he addressed 'An Open Letter to His Serene Majesty Léopold II, King of the Belgians and Sovereign of the Independent State of Congo' from Stanley Falls on July 18, 1890. In this letter, he condemned the brutal and inhuman treatment the Congolese were suffering at the hands of the colonizers. He mentioned the role played by Henry M. Stanley, sent to the Congo by the King, in tricking and mistreating the Africans. Williams reminded the King that the crimes committed were all committed in his name, making him as guilty as the actual culprits. He appealed to the international community of the day to 'call and create an International Commission to investigate the charges herein preferred in the name of Humanity...'.
Traveling home from Africa, George Washington Williams died in Blackpool, England in 1891.Playing the part of George Washington Williams, Jonathan takes his audience on a 45 minute political journey of the 1870's. In character, Jonathan addressing many of the issues faced by people of that time, This will provide a "Living Example" of how the politics of the 1870's played a hand in ending slavery, and making the world a better place for all.
Suggested Audience Age: 6 and upIf you are interested in having Jonathan come and perform for your school, church, or special event, please E-mail Us.
Each performance will be tailored for age appropriateness, theatrical effect and maturity.
The Heritage Concert Revue is a very energetic musical, storytelling
presentation featuring the saxophone. Designed to challenge students to
understand lyrics, stories and messages behind the melodies. Mr.
Thompson uses his experience with young people and music to tech,
life-skills, social issues, enrichment and above all promoting
content, stories and messages of a song. This program is designed for
an audience up to 300 persons or more in a large setting.
Students will benefit from this program by being exposed to different musical styles some known and not known to them, learning to understand some of the writers, composers, and their stories, lifestyles and meanings. Elementary, Middle School, High School and College students will have a greater awareness of why they listen to music beyond the melody and beat.
The Heritage Concert Revue's program is designed to create opportunities of shared and lasting experiences to connect students to musical urban cultures, each other, and to their own potential. Students will experience the sound and style of an Anthem, Spiritual, Hymn, Gospel, and contemporary inspirational songs, along with their history, origin's and stories. Jonathan Thompson has been performing as a musician for twenty-seven years. Recording with the first and only gospel music record company in the world. Called "The Man with the Golden Horn" by promoters and statesman, his music reached the top of the billboard charts back in the 1980's. Jonathan's sound and style has been heard around the world. His giftings as a poet, actor, storyteller all are demonstrated as he inspires students through performances and presentations.The program will start with the introduction of Jonathan Thompson "Man with the Golden Horn', and a short description of the presentation.
Mr. Thompson begins by telling the dramatic story of composer writer Frederic Handel's story of why and how he came to write what is known as Handel's Messiah. He then plays Handel's Messiah
The program continues with Negro Spirituals and there meaning, such as Wade in the Water, Steal Away, and Amazing Grace there stories and poetry.Involving the audience with clapping and singing Mr. Thompson uses his talents of a varsity of styles including blues, jazz, soul and teaches much of the history behind the music.
Examples from the lives of people like Mahalia Jackson and other music greats are prevalent through this program. While teaching the audience about call and response. Students get to participate heavily with hand claps, foot stomping, and tambourine banging as Mr. Thompson directs and plays his rendition of "Oh Happy Day" and "I'll take you there"This all is concluded with stories and songs by Kurt Franklin and R. Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly'
Audiences of 300 or more will gain the result and benefits of:Being exposed to different musical styles, learning to understand some of the writers, composers, and their stories, lifestyles and meanings. Students will have a greater awareness and understanding of why they listen to music beyond the melody and beat.
Mr. Thompson will bring his own sound equipment, unless school system meets his standards.