Summary

Hundreds of King County parents, teachers and community members are expected to turn out tomorrow with King County Executive Dow Constantine to celebrate the in-class, on-field or on-stage accomplishments of more than 700 student-athletes at the 23rd annual Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards.

Story

Hundreds of King County parents, teachers and community members are expected to turn out tomorrow with King County Executive Dow Constantine to celebrate the in-class, on-field or on-stage accomplishments of more than 700 student-athletes at the 23rd annual Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards.

The awardees range from kindergarteners to sophomores in high school nominated for maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or more for the entire school year while also participating in sports or dance activities.

The ceremony will take place:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
5 p.m. – Doors open
6 p.m. – Ceremony program
Qwest Field Event Center- West Plaza
800 Occidental Avenue South
Seattle, WA

"I look forward to honoring these young people for their accomplishments and commitment to excellence," said Executive Dow Constantine, who will be opening the awards ceremony. "This program celebrates those students who have found a healthy balance between academics and their extracurricular activities.”

The award is named after quintessential Renaissance man and scholar-athlete Paul Robeson (1898-1976). Internationally acclaimed during his lifetime, the African American singer, actor, athlete and scholar was a Phi Beta Kappa and valedictorian at Rutgers University who spoke and wrote more than 20 languages. Robeson also graduated with honors from Columbia University Law School in an era when most people of color worldwide struggled for even nominal opportunities both academically and professionally. 

As an athlete, Robeson was a star baseball catcher, a stellar basketball player and coach, one of the first African Americans to be named an All-American in college football, and one of the first African Americans to play and star in professional football. Robeson was also an acclaimed actor and singer with an astonishing list of achievements. As his fame grew, he used it to advance the cause of civil rights.

In the first year of the Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards, organizers honored 23 Seattle students in the basement of a local church. Over the ensuing 23 years, more than 10,000 students countywide have been recognized with a Paul Robeson Award. The awards have also been broadened to honor students from schools throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish County who participate in local sports and dance organizations.