Paul Robeson High School for Business and Technology was a high school in the Crown Heights section of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It is a part of the

New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is ...

. The school was named for

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his ...

, a singer and civil rights activist. Paul Robeson High School for Business and Technology was opened in the building formerly called Alexander Hamilton Technical and Vocational High School, which closed in February 1984. The school reopened in the fall of 1985. The school building, designed by Charles Snyder in the Beaux-Arts style, was originally opened in 1905 as Commercial High School and housed three murals by the artist Abraham Bogdanove: Commerce, Ancient and Modern (1918) on either side of the proscenium arch of the Auditorium (removed in 1999, restored and relocated to Tottenville High School in Staten Island) and Education (1924) in the front lobby currently draped over by a mural of Paul Robeson. The school was closed in 2011 due to failing ratings and has been reopened as Pathways to Technology High School. The controversial closure of the school in 2011 was the inspiration for a series of student protests culminating in a walkout on May 1, 2012. This led to the creation of the Paul Robeson Freedom School, co-founded by graduates of the school along with education advocates

Justin Wedes Justin Wedes (born March 20, 1986) is an entrepreneur, community organizer and social justice activist. He is a former member of the Occupy Wall Street movement, founding member of the Detroit Water Brigade and CEO oThe Liberati Group a strategic ...

and Rodney Deas.

Notable alumni

* Kenny Adeleke (born 1983), basketball player *

Malcolm Grant Sir Malcolm John Grant, , (born 29 November 1947) is a barrister, academic lawyer, and former law professor. Born and educated in New Zealand, he was the ninth President and Provost of University College London – the head as well as princi ...

, professional basketball player

References

External links

Paul Robeson High School for Business and Technology

Paul Robeson Freedom School
Public high schools in Brooklyn Crown Heights, Brooklyn {{Brooklyn-school-stub