NATCHEZ &8212; Say the name Paul Robeson, and many of his fans will think of his great stage acting and singing. Not Robert L. Johnson III.

Johnson, who represents Natchez as House District 94 representative in the Mississippi Legislature, with constituents in Adams, Claiborne and Jefferson counties, knew early on that Robeson was a man after whom he could model himself.

&8220;He was an athlete and a scholar, a person who didn&8217;t limit himself but rather put himself at risk in order to stand up and do the right thing,&8221; Johnson said.

Robeson stood up to racism at Rutgers, where he had been awarded a four-year academic scholarship and became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He excelled at athletics, lettered numerous times, and was an All-American.

Graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1919, he went on to Columbia Law School. Racial prejudice interfered with his ability to practice law, and he turned to his early love &8212; music and the stage.

Johnson said as a young teenager he knew who his heroes were in black history. &8220;I can remember in the seventh grade that I knew I wanted to be a well-rounded individual who represented people.&8221;

He pointed to Ralph Metcalfe, another hero, also a scholar and athlete. Metcalfe was a member of the Gold Medal-winning relay team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

&8220;He committed himself to what he did,&8221; Johnson said. &8220;He went on to have a successful life in public service, becoming a U.S. congressman from Illinois and co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Metcalfe was a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for blacks.

Johnson said his parents, Robert Johnson Jr. and Joyce Johnson, also are his heroes.

&8220;My mother and my father are two of the most respected people in the community. They taught me to work hard and always do the best that I can do,&8221; he said.

His parents set that example for him in their giving to the community without any thought of recognition.

&8220;They stood up and took risks and did the right things,&8221; he said. &8220;I&8217;m so thankful and blessed to have had both a mother and a father who are wonderful role models for me.&8221;

They taught him &8220;whether in New York or in Sibley, Mississippi, to react the same with people,&8221; he said.

His own children, 13, 10 and 9 are good students and good citizens, Johnson said. &8220;I stress with them to act right and do good work.&8221;

Kelvin Butler looks to the man who convinced him to enter politics 15 years ago as one of his most important heroes.

Butler, state senator representing District 38, lives in Magnolia and has constituents in Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthal and Wilkinson counties.

The late Alphonse Marks, the first black supervisor to be elected in Pike County, was an influence during his school days, Butler said. Marks was the first black county agent, also.

&8220;He was over 4-H. He taught us to judge farm products, to learn to identify trees, all about farming and forestry,&8221; Butler said. &8220;He was a super person, down home and good. He cared about people. He got me into politics.&8221;

A seat came open on the Magnolia Board of Aldermen. &8220;He said, &8216;Kelvin, I want you to run for this. You can win.&8217;&8221;

Butler said he never had considered politics before. But he won the seat in 1991 and held it. &8220;And now here I am a state senator,&8221; he said.

Butler&8217;s wife died in 2000, leaving him with three children, now ages 24, 17 and 12.

He tries to be a hero for them. &8220;I tell them to put their best foot forward. Don&8217;t give up. Even if you don&8217;t get exactly what you want, what you do will open doors for you.&8221;