Paul Leroy Robeson (pronounced /ˈroʊbsən/, rohb-sən;[1] April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American concert singer (bass), recording artist, athlete and actor who became noted for his political radicalism and activism in the civil rights movement. He was the first major concert star to popularize the performance of Negro spirituals. He was the first black actor to portray Shakespeare's Othello in a production with an otherwise all-white cast, in 1930.