By Donald Gilpin

The Paul Robeson House of Princeton (PRHP) is preparing to open its doors to the public in time to celebrate in April of 2025, the 127th anniversary of Robeson’s birth.

Restoration and reconstruction of the house at 110 Witherspoon Street where Robeson was born is approaching the final stages, and the board of directors of the Robeson House is currently launching a campaign to raise $600,000 to help complete the project.

“From foundational work to the completion of essential walkways, entrances, and gallery windows, each step forward is a testament to the enduring strength of our community,” the board wrote in a recent letter to supporters.

The letter emphasized the importance of Robeson’s legacy and how that legacy strengthens the community in Princeton and beyond. “As we close out the year, we’re reminded of the vital role community plays in sustaining hope during challenging times,” the letter stated. “At the Paul Robeson House of Princeton, we’re committed to carrying forward Paul Robeson’s legacy as a beacon of strength, resilience, and inspiration for all.”

The PRHP is intended to serve as an education, community, and service center with meeting, event, and office spaces. It will be hosting a wide range of programs for students, community members, and visitors interested in Paul Robeson’s legacy and its relevance in today’s global society.

The Robeson Gallery on the ground floor will be open for the April celebrations, though other parts of the building may not open until later in the year. Robeson memorabilia and artifacts from the historic Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood will be on display in the gallery.

The first floor will include a meeting room and office space for nonprofit organizations working along with the Robeson House on educational and cultural initiatives and events. The second floor will provide temporary lodging for visiting scholars, service workers, immigrants, missionaries, and students. A rear courtyard has been added as an informal gathering space.

“We see the building as the anchor point for the Robeson story,” said PRHP Board Member Joy Barnes-Johnson. “We think it’s important to have at least the gallery open by April, so we can share some of that story. That will be the interpretive center, a space where people come and see all of the ways that Paul Robeson and the Robeson House anchor the neighborhood.”

Barnes-Johnson noted the section of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood that includes the Arts Council of Princeton, also known as the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, as well as the Robeson House, the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, where Robeson’s father served as pastor, and the Princeton Cemetery, where Robeson’s parents are buried.

“The home where Paul Robeson was born is designed to be a neighborhood resource,” said PRHP Board President Ben Colbert. “I believe very strongly in the continuing presence of that house, and the support of the neighborhood has been crucial to our efforts.”

One recent PRHP enterprise has been its podcast series, which, in each episode, explores “Paul Robeson’s powerful values and principles and their resonance in today’s world,” according to a PRHP missive. The most recent podcast episode, “Black Asian Solidarity,” presents shared stories between Black and Asian communities, “shining a light on how unity can create meaningful change.”

Featured in the “Black Asian Solidarity” podcast are Mridula Bajaj, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Mt. Laurel Schools; retired technology professional and Not in Our Town board member Sindu Xirasagar; and PRHP Board Member Denyse Leslie.

Barnes-Johnson highlighted other PRHP programs, including the Robeson Tomato Campaign, which will be distributing seeds to community members again this spring; a read-in on Presidents Day in February at the Princeton Middle School; and the Paul Robeson Scholars Program.

There were nine Robeson Scholars selected last April out of 30 high school and college applicants from across the country. Each is doing some kind of community service campaign in their local community or some kind of athletic project promoting health and wellness — all in the spirit of Paul Robeson and his legacy as a scholar, activist, artist, and athlete.

One scholar did a food drive in her community in Texas; one developed a project for young writers and journalists in her community in California; and another is studying abroad and learning how art can be used as a means for community organizing.

Barnes-Johnson expressed her gratification that the program has a wide scope and also serves the local community, including recent PHS graduate Jocelyn Brobbey, and PHS seniors Asma Qureshi and Sheena Ash. The 2025 Robeson Scholars will be announced in April.

“What the Paul Robeson House will represent in the community is 21st century art in a way that says that art can be visual, but it can also be something that you feel that’s connected to history,” said Barnes-Johnson. “Because of the location of the house it will be easy for visitors to say that in this place and in this moment we can relate to the history and also find something spiritual about why it matters to connect to others.”

She continued, “This will be a sanctuary of sorts to say we can gather again and we can gather in honor of a dignified American story that is not really well understood. We want people to understand it, and that’s what we’ll be able to do.”

Visit ThePaulRobesonHouseofPrinceton.org to find more information, to watch the podcasts, and to donate to the development campaign.