Lawrence Young, director of Penn State's Paul Robeson Cultural Center, will give a presentation titled "Paul Robeson, the Man, the Myth, and the Cultural Center at Penn State," from 4 to 6 tonight in the Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library.

Before joining the Penn State staff 20 years ago, Young served as director of Educational Opportunity Programs and Minority Student Affairs at Miami University of Ohio. Most recently, he has been involved in the renovation and expansion of the HUB-Robeson Center.

The original Robeson Center at Penn State was established in 1972, replacing the student-run Black Cultural Center.

It was created to help black students adjust to their environment at Penn State, by providing cultural, educational and social support.

The students, faculty and staff who oversaw the opening of the center named it after Paul Robeson, a world-renown black activist. Born in Princeton in 1898, the son of an ex-slave, he was a well-known scholar, actor, athlete and singer.

In the 1940s, Robeson focused his efforts on human rights, becoming an eloquent, often controversial spokesperson against racism and discrimination.

Sponsored by the University Libraries, Young's presentation is part of the Social Science Library's First Friday series. The lecture is free and open to the public.