‘Arise! Ye Who Refuse to be Bond Slaves:’ Paul Robeson, ‘The Black King of Songs,’ and China

Professor Gao Yunxiang

Professor of History at Toronto Metropolitan University

Professor Gao Yunxiang's research focuses primarily on trans-Pacific cultural history in the twentieth century through a multilingual approach. She has written two books. Her most recent work is Arise, Africa! Roar, China!: Black and Chinese Citizens of the World in the Twentieth Century (University of North Carolina Press, 2021).  Professor Gao has published articles in venues such as History Today, The Du Bois Review, Gender and History, The Journal of American East-Asian Relations, Modern Chinese Literature and Culture, Socialism and Democracy, and Sport in Society. Several of her articles have been translated into Chinese. Currently, she is finishing two biographies, modelling a trans-nationalized Asian and Asian American history. They are tentatively entitled “Soo Yong: A Hollywood Actress and Cosmopolitan of the Asian Diasporas” and “Wang Yung: From Child Bride, Shanghai’s ‘Literary Star,’ to the Trans-Pacific ‘Drama Queen.’”