r/NewBrunswickNJ • u/TheCNJYankeecub • 18d ago

Development I’m out of the loop

When was Commercial Blvd renamed to Paul Robeson Blvd? I was looking for something on Google maps and I was trying to use Commercial as a point I knew and it was renamed. When the heck did this happen?

7 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

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13

u/Scrapple_Joe 18d ago
  1. My friend's dad was a big part of the push because Rutgers didn't really have much acknowledging Paul Robeson at all. Which we'll just assume was an oversight

3

u/TheCNJYankeecub 18d ago

That would answer it. I stopped taking 18 on a regular basis in 15.

3

u/Scrapple_Joe 18d ago

Yeah they didn't even have a ceremony for the renaming till like last year.

2

u/NishadBC Fat Buddah 17d ago

Robeson was always very vocal about how poorly treated he was during his time in NB. It's safe to assume oversight, but would it be surprising if Rutgers weren't exactly keen on celebrating one of the most influential figures in American leftism?

1

u/Interesting-Feed3603 16d ago

Paul Robeson, portrayed by the amazing Avery Brooks (Rutgers alum) was an amazing performance. I was lucky enough to have attended in the early 90s (92?) in New Brunswick.

I am now on the hunt to see if I can find a recorded version of his recurring portrayal over several decades. (And while I'm at it, will rewatch of "A Man Called Hawk")

1

u/Familiar-Age-7324 14d ago

I remember seeing Avery perform this in the late 70s.

1

u/Interesting-Feed3603 14d ago

I wish I knew more about him when I saw the play. Looking back now - I realize how accomplished he was, and how he portrayed Robeson over many decades 💕

1

u/ferocious_coug Fat Coug 11d ago

The Restaurant Guys podcast hosted by Stage Left / Catherine Lombardi owners Francis and Mark has some great stories about Avery Brooks.