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Eslanda Goode Robeson

Black and white photo of Eslanda Goode Robeson, shown standing in a dark suit; she is smiling, wearing her hair in a bun, clasping her hands in front of her, radiating confidence.

“Essie” was Paul Robeson’s wife, business partner, and financial manager. Essie documented her difficult marriage and adventures with Paul in a journal that is now a major resource for scholars of Paul’s life and career. Outside of her marriage, this remarkable woman achieved international renown in her own right as an anthropologist, freelance journalist, U.N. correspondent, and commentator on international affairs and domestic politics—all in the service of human rights and social justice.

1942/1957
Attribution/Credit

California Labor School Negative Collection, Labor Archives & Research Center, J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University.