The Collision Between Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson
Howard Bryant joins Edge of Sports to talk about his new book, Kings and Pawns

Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin
This week, we talk to author Howard Bryant, whose towering new book is called Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America. It's an incredible look at these two trailblazing giants of the 20th century, how they navigated the racism of their day, and the ways both their lives were irrevocably changed by Jackie Robinson's 1949 testimony "condemning" Robeson at the House Un-American Activities Committee hearing.
Zirin, Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/2026-winter-olympics-ice-debt/
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Paul Robeson, 1958.
(Ronald Dumont / Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)This week, we talk to author Howard Bryant, whose towering new book is called Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America. It’s an incredible look at these two trailblazing giants of the 20th century, how they navigated the racism of their day, and the ways both their lives were irrevocably changed by Jackie Robinson’s 1949 testimony “condemning” Robeson at the House Un-American Activities Committee hearing.
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Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin
This week, we talk to author Howard Bryant, whose towering new book is called Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America. It's an incredible look at these two trailblazing giants of the 20th century, how they navigated the racism of their day, and the ways both their lives were irrevocably changed by Jackie Robinson's 1949 testimony "condemning" Robeson at the House Un-American Activities Committee hearing.
Zirin, Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/2026-winter-olympics-ice-debt/
—
http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: [email protected] | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE)
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts
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