Everyday Black History ~ Charles S. Gilpin

Called the "dean of black American actors," Charles S. Gilpin had a career in Vaudeville spanning 20 years. For Gilpin, like for many actors then and since, there may be long stretches of unemployment between gigs. When he was not on stage, Gilpin worked as a printer, an elevator operator, a prize-fight trainer and a porter.

Charles S. Gilpin (1876-1930)

Gilpin organized the Lafayette Theatre Company in 1916 as one of New York's earliest black stock companies. In 1920, Gilpin began a four-year run on stage as The Emperor Jones. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1921 awarded Charles Gilpin its prestigious Spingarn Medal for his contribution to the theatre.

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