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Asked about this himself, Robeson refused to answer on grounds of potential self-incrimination,<ref>Ralph F. Young, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_LLtAAAAMAAJ Dissent in America: Voices That Shaped a Nation]'' (Pearson Longman, 2008) ISBN 0205605419, p. 325</ref> but his son, Paul Robeson, Jr. (who admits being a member of the Communist Party from about 1948 to 1962) claimed that his father "never joined the Communist Party."<ref>Arnold H. Lubasch, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/21/garden/in-harlem-with-paul-robeson-jr-finding-his-own-voice-and-learning-to-use-it.html?pagewanted=all IN HARLEM WITH: Paul Robeson Jr.; Finding His Own Voice And Learning to Use It]," ''The New York Times'', October 21, 1993</ref> As his father's "official biographer," Robeson, Jr., selected Martin Duberman&mdash;in part (according to Duberman) because of "my left-wing views"<ref>Martin Duberman, "[http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/297.html Writing Robeson]," ''The Nation'', December 28, 1998</ref>&mdash;who also claimed in his 1988 biography that Robeson "was never a member of CPUSA, never a functionary, never a participant in its daily bureaucratic operations."<ref name=dubermanpages/>

Asked about this himself, Robeson refused to answer on grounds of potential self-incrimination,<ref>Ralph F. Young, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_LLtAAAAMAAJ Dissent in America: Voices That Shaped a Nation]'' (Pearson Longman, 2008) ISBN 0205605419, p. 325</ref> but his son, Paul Robeson, Jr. (who admits being a member of the Communist Party from about 1948 to 1962) claimed that his father "never joined the Communist Party."<ref>Arnold H. Lubasch, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/21/garden/in-harlem-with-paul-robeson-jr-finding-his-own-voice-and-learning-to-use-it.html?pagewanted=all IN HARLEM WITH: Paul Robeson Jr.; Finding His Own Voice And Learning to Use It]," ''The New York Times'', October 21, 1993</ref> As his father's "official biographer," Robeson, Jr., selected Martin Duberman&mdash;in part (according to Duberman) because of "my left-wing views"<ref>Martin Duberman, "[http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/297.html Writing Robeson]," ''The Nation'', December 28, 1998</ref>&mdash;who also claimed in his 1988 biography that Robeson "was never a member of CPUSA, never a functionary, never a participant in its daily bureaucratic operations."<ref name=dubermanpages/>

A decade after Duberman's book appeared, however, this claim would be undermined by no less an authority than the Communist Party itself. According to Paul Kengor, professor of political science at Grove City College:

A decade after Duberman's book appeared, however, this claim would be undermined by no less an authority than the Communist Party itself. According to [[Paul Kengor]], professor of political science at Grove City College:

{{cquote|In May 1998, the centennial of Robeson's birth, longtime CPUSA head Gus Hall finally, proudly revealed the truth.

{{cquote|In May 1998, the centennial of Robeson's birth, longtime CPUSA head Gus Hall finally, proudly revealed the truth.

In this birthday tribute to "Comrade Paul," Hall and CPUSA came bearing gifts. "We have a birthday present for Paul that no one else can give," said Hall, "the full truth and nothing but the truth." And what's that truth? "Paul was a proud member of the Communist Party USA," stated Hall unequivocally. Paul had been a man of communist "conviction." This was "an indelible fact of Paul's life," in "every way, every day of his adult life." He "never forgot he was a Communist."<ref>Paul Kengor, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JUQ0O1gMSfMC The Communist]'' (Simon and Schuster, 2012) ISBN 1451698097, pp. 270-271; Cf. Paul Kengor, "[http://spectator.org/archives/2012/03/30/the-nations-top-50-progressive/print The Nation's Top 50 Progressives… and Socialists and Communists]," ''The American Spectator'', March 30, 2012</ref>}}

In this birthday tribute to "Comrade Paul," Hall and CPUSA came bearing gifts. "We have a birthday present for Paul that no one else can give," said Hall, "the full truth and nothing but the truth." And what's that truth? "Paul was a proud member of the Communist Party USA," stated Hall unequivocally. Paul had been a man of communist "conviction." This was "an indelible fact of Paul's life," in "every way, every day of his adult life." He "never forgot he was a Communist."<ref>Paul Kengor, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JUQ0O1gMSfMC The Communist]'' (Simon and Schuster, 2012) ISBN 1451698097, pp. 270-271; Cf. Paul Kengor, "[http://spectator.org/archives/2012/03/30/the-nations-top-50-progressive/print The Nation's Top 50 Progressives… and Socialists and Communists]," ''The American Spectator'', March 30, 2012</ref>}}