Compromise, Commemoration and Containment of Public Memory: The Revival of Paul Robeson’s Legacy at Rutgers University, 1966–1975

Abstract:Paul Robeson was the most famous alumnus in the history of Rutgers College, but by the 1960s, four decades after his graduation, his name had been effectively erased from the school’s public memory, a victim of Cold War nationalism. Despite efforts by student activists in the 1960s to restore his legacy, and official recognitions that followed, Robeson’s reputation remained obscure. Taking a new look into the Rutgers Archives through the lens of public memory theory, this article argues that for Robeson, and for controversial figures more generally, commemorations reached through concession and compromise can serve to contain public memories more than proclaim them.