Credit: Image donated by Corbis-Bettmann
An internationally renowned human rights activist, Robeson called the United States "the focal point of world fascism" at the 1949 Paris peace conference, and charged that President Truman's program for African development would mean "new slavery" for millions of Africans. That August, Robeson visited the Soviet Union where he sang to enthusiastic audiences. After Robeson refused to sign an affidavit that he was not a Communist, the U.S. government revoked his passport, which restricted his travels until the Supreme Court restored it in 1958.
