Charles Lampkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Lampkin
Lampkin in 1962
Born	(1913-03-17)March 17, 1913 Montgomery, Alabama, US
Died	April 17, 1989(1989-04-17) (aged 76) San Jose, California, US
Alma mater	John Carroll University, Cleveland School of Music
Occupation	Actor, Musician and Lecturer
Years active	1951–1989

Charles Lampkin (1913–1989) was a talented American actor, musician, and lecturer. He used his many skills to share important stories and ideas with people across the country.

Early Life

Charles Lampkin was born on March 17, 1913, in Montgomery, Alabama. He was the third son of Edgar Lampkin and Sarah Bidell. His family moved from Montgomery to Cleveland in the 1920s. This was part of the Great Migration, when many African Americans moved from the Southern United States to the North.

Charles Lampkin's great-grandmother, Ann Lampkin, was an emancipated slave. She was one of the first people to help Booker T. Washington when he arrived in Alabama in 1881. She helped secure land and raise money for the Tuskegee Institute.

Career Highlights

Charles Lampkin was a pioneer of Spoken Word in the 1930s. This is a type of performance where poetry or stories are spoken aloud. He won debating awards in Ohio in 1939, 1940, and 1941.

In 1951, Lampkin appeared in Five, one of the first science fiction films about a nuclear disaster. He introduced the film's director, Arch Oboler, to a famous poem called The Creation by James Weldon Johnson. Lampkin convinced Oboler to include parts of the poem in the movie. This became Lampkin's powerful speech in the film. It was one of the first times many people in the United States, Latin America, and Europe heard African-American poetry.

From 1943 to 1945, Charles Lampkin was the Music Director for the American Peoples' Chorus. On June 26, 1944, he led a performance with the famous singer Paul Robeson at the historic Negro Freedom Rally in Madison Square Garden.

In 1969, he became a Professor of Music and Theatre Arts at Santa Clara University. He taught there until 1981.

Lampkin was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1979. This was for his performance in the ABC after-school special Home Run for Love. He also played Professor Loman in Alex Haley's Roots: The Next Generations in 1979.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lampkin was important in developing multi-cultural education in California. This means teaching about different cultures and backgrounds.

Lecture-Recitations

In his college classes, Charles Lampkin taught about African-American music. He divided it into four main types: Spirituals, the Shout Song, the Work Song, and the Blues.

In 1957, Lampkin recorded performances of poetry from the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time when African-American art and culture thrived. He set these poems to music he composed. These recordings were sent to thousands of schools across the United States.

A key part of Charles Lampkin's lectures was The Creation. This classic poem is from James Weldon Johnson's book God's Trombones. Lampkin helped make this poem widely known and appreciated.

Teaching at Universities

In January 1969, Lampkin joined the faculty at the University of Santa Clara. He taught acting and ethnic music until he retired in 1981. He also lectured at the University of the Pacific in their Black Studies Program.

Charles Lampkin Foundation

In 2011, Charles Lampkin's grandson, Daniel Bruno, started the Charles Lampkin Foundation. This non-profit organization aims to promote learning and appreciation for the Harlem Renaissance. The foundation has created videos using Charles Lampkin's 1957 recordings. They also produced a documentary called Dreams From My Grandfather.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Charles Lampkin appeared in many films and TV shows throughout his career. Here are some of his notable roles: