The Pol Robeson Tomato from the February 2023 ACG Newsletter
The Paul Robeson tomato is a Russian heirloom tomato named for Paul Robeson, the American singer, actor and human-rights advocate whose legacy is celebrated in this issue. It is not known who cultivated or named this tomato but as its crimson color gradually blackens toward the end of summer, it is easy to understand the connection. This was clearly a tribute to a man much beloved in Russia.
Robeson performed widely in Russia and elsewhere and advocated peaceful coexistence betwixt capitalist and communist regimes. While he denounced the United States for its treatment of blacks, and championed the rights of workers and oppressed peoples everywhere, he appreciated the lip service the Soviet constitution paid to racial equality.
Marina Danilenko was co founder of a seed distribution business in Moscow in 1990 and visited The Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in Virginia in 1992, to learn about the operation of a seed company. She donated 170 varieties of Russian tomatoes to the Seed Savers Exchange, including a tomato called the “Поль Робсон (Pol Robeson).” Subequently, Jeff McCormack, founder of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, included the tomato in their catalog and introduced it to the American public.
The Pol Robeson Tomato (Томат Поль Робсон) is available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds