The Case of Paul Robeson's Passport (Provisional Committee to Restore Paul Robeson's Passport, ca. 1951)

A fact sheet by the committee formed to win back Paul Robeson’s passport (its header: “A FACT SHEET PREPARED BY THE PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE”; NYPL’s metadata lists it as a press release), an advocate’s record, written at the time. Read 2026-10-03 via NYPL’s transcript. It states: “On July 28, 1950, two agents of the State Department called on Mr. Robeson and demanded that he turn in his lawfully held passport.” “On August 4, 1950, the State Department announced to the press that it had cancelled Paul Robeson’s passport and had informed all U.S. border officials to detain Mr. Robeson should he attempt to leave the country.” “During an interview with the State Department on August 23, 1950, Mr. Robeson was told that he could regain his passport if he agreed to refrain from making speeches abroad.”

Tier B: an advocacy publication, not the State Department’s own release. Cite it as the committee’s account. Penn’s collaborative history (penn-collaborative-history-paul-robeson-freedoms-price) says “suspended”; this record reports the department’s announced word as “cancelled.” Docketed by ROBESON’s 2026-10-03 correction.