[Photograph] Paul Robeson was trained as a lawyer. But because opportunities for African Americans in that profession were severely limited, he turned to the stage.

When he appeared as the lead in The Emperor Jones in 1924, critics hailed him. Other triumphs soon followed, not least of which was his 1930 performance as Shakespeare's Othello. Robeson's rendition of "Ol' Man River" in Show Boat numbers among the unforgettable moments in the history of movie musicals.

In this photograph, taken by Edward Steichen, Robeson appears as Brutus Jones in The Emperor Jones.

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery

Photograph of Paul Robeson (1898-1976) playing the Emperor Jones, 1933, by Edward Steichen (1879-1973), gelatin silver print

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