Canada Lee

Canada Lee born Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata March 3 1907 May 9 1952 was an American professional boxer and then an actor who pioneered roles for African Americans After careers as a jockey boxer and musician he became an actor in the Federal Theatre Project including the 1936 production of Macbeth adapted and directed by Orson Welles A champion of civil rights in the 1930s and 1940s Lee was blacklisted and died shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee He advanced the African American tradition in theatre pioneered by such actors as Paul Robeson Description above from the Wikipedia article Canada Lee licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia