Robeson's international achievements as a singer and actor in starring roles on stage and screen made him the
most celebrated black American of his day, but his outspoken criticism of racism in the United States, his strong
support of African independence, and his fascination with the Soviet Union placed him under the debilitating scrutiny
of McCarthyism. Blacklisted, his famed voice silenced, he wrote Here I Stand as a bold answer to his accusers.
It remains today a defiant challenge to the prevailing fear and racism that continues to characterize American
society.