2. My father was a runaway slave. Maybe I inherited my stubborn streak from him. Though I was an outstanding athlete, student, singer, and actor, I was not exempt from discrimination. My outspoken complaints about the economic and political discrimination faced by blacks made me unwelcome in the country of my birth. I spent much of adult life outside the Untied States. You may sometimes hear my voice on the radio in recordings I made of gospel songs and theater music