Before WE move forward.
Here is some black opera history:
”Scott Joplin (in photo) was born November 24, 1868. He was an African-American composer and pianist, one of the most important developers of ragtime music. Born in Texarkana, TX, Joplin taught himself piano as a child, learning classical music from a German neighbor. Scott Joplin moved to New York City in 1907 and four years later at his own expense, he published his ragtime opera “Treemonisha,” a work intended to go beyond ragtime to create an indigenous black American opera. 
Staged in a concert version in 1915, it failed with the audience, leaving the composer’s spirit permanently broken. He died in 1917, not aware that eventually, his music would undergo a great revival after some of his compositions, including “The Entertainer,” were used as the background music in the film “The Sting” and “Treemonisha” was staged with great success in 1975 by the Houston Grand Opera.”
