Six Hillsborough teens were among the 34 middle and high school students from Somerset and Hunterdon counties honored April 7at the 21st annual Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards reception at Raritan Valley Community College.
The National Council of Negro Women and RVCC initiated awards program in 1990. The awards are named for Paul Robeson, a Princeton native who graduated from Somerville High School and Rutgers University.
The awards, sponsored by the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice at RVCC, are given in four areas in which Mr. Robeson excelled: scholarship, the arts, community service and athletics. Also, special “Renaissance Scholars” awards are given to students who excel in a number of disciplines.
A committee of RVCC faculty and administrators selected recipients.
The following Hillsborough Middle School students were recognized:
Arts: Keianna Davis.
Community: Janelle Herbert.
Scholarship: Martin Butts and Sklyer Springs.
Renaissance: Joel Cockburn.
Eiloghosa Ewere of Hillsborough High School was recognized in the athletics category.
Other Hillsborough nominees were Michael McClellan, Samari Springs and Taniah Van Ness from the middle school. Nominees from the high school included Cameron Dennis, Kai Durant, Rasha Guerrier, Sierra Harris, Evan Hawkes, Nigel Herbert, Ivan Lennon, Franco Obour Jr., Christian Pluchino, Shasha-Nee Reid and Nateka Scafe.
Mr. Robeson, son of an escaped slave, rose from humble beginnings to become a superior athlete, scholar, orator and linguist and a star in theater, film and on the concert stage. His performances in “The Emperor Jones,” “Show Boat” and “Othello” remain theatrical landmarks.
Mr. Robeson also was an outspoken and controversial advocate of civil rights for African-Americans. In the 1950s, during the McCarthy era, he was persecuted for his political ideas and prevented from working. His passport was revoked for eight years because the U.S. government considered his activities in the 1930s and ‘40s treasonable. Throughout Mr. Robeson’s career, he remained convinced that “art can bridge the gulf between white and black races.” Robeson died in Philadelphia in 1976 at the age of 77.
The evening featured a keynote address by Jerome C. Harris, Jr., managing director of the Harris Organization, a strategic consulting firm. He is chairman of the board of the N.J. Black Issues Convention, and is an adjunct professor at Rowan University.

