Editing Paul Robeson (section)

== Legacy ==

Paul Robeson died on January 23, 1976, in Philadelphia, his final years spent in the city after the persecution that had destroyed his career had finally eased. His legacy encompasses both the artistic achievements that made him one of the century's greatest performers and the political courage that cost him the career those achievements deserved. His rehabilitation since death—the acknowledgment that his persecution was unjust, the recognition of his significance—provides belated justice that his lifetime did not see. Robeson represents both the heights that African American talent could reach and the violence that white supremacy and anticommunism could inflict on those who challenged American assumptions.<ref name="boyle"/>