The Last Tour

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Paul Robeson was once the most famous African American in the world. Not only was he a renowned singer and actor with a stunning bass baritone voice, revered throughout the world, he was also a former professional athlete, lawyer and civil rights activist. To the delight of his many fans, he and his wife, Eslanda—a notable civil rights activist, author, United Nations journalist and anthropologist—were finally able to tour Australia and New Zealand. First mooted in the 1930s, it had been delayed by war and then the Cold War, when Paul's outspoken support for the Soviet Union and against his country's race relations had led the US government to deny him a passport until 1958. Now, in 1960, the tour occurred at a time when the world was at the tipping point between the Cold War 1950s and the turbulent 1960s. The Robesons' tour encompassed concerts—the first one ever at the Sydney Opera House, which was still under construction—talks to unionists, fans