For Immediate Release: Exhibition Dates: April 8 to July 8, 2006

Paul Robeson Remembered in New Exhibit at
The African American Museum and Library at Oakland

(Oakland , CA) Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest is an original exhibition honoring the contributions and legacy of Paul Robeson, scholar, singer, actor, athlete, and human rights activist. The multimedia exhibit features photographs, original art, documents on loan from the collection of the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, as well as video and audio presentations about Robeson's early life, his careers on stage and in film, and his political awakening. It will be on display April 8 through July 8, 2006, at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO), 659-14th Street. An opening reception will be held Saturday, April 8 from 6 to 8 pm.

Born the son of a former slave in 1898, Robeson rose to fame as a powerful actor and singer, but his career suffered when he became an outspoken critic of inequality and racism. "Standing steadfast to his convictions, he drew the wrath of many, becoming the target of a state-sponsored effort to erase his very being, ridicule his faith, and deny his right as an American citizen to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness," said chief curator Rick Moss. "The exhibit's modest examination of this complex man cannot begin to reveal all that he was, or the extent to which his sacrifices paved the way for the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1950s and '60s-social and political movements that radically altered the fabric of our nation." Robeson died in 1976.

AAMLO is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5:30 pm. For more information, call (510) 637-0200, or see the Library's Web site: www.oaklandlibrary.org. Please refrain from wearing scented products. To request sign interpretation, or other accommodation, call the number above or (510) 834-7446 (TTY) at least five working days prior to the event. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.

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Photographs available by request.