Back in the 1930s there was a famous American pianist by the name of Philippa Schuyler. She was a child prodigy, and the daughter of a white mother and black father. Philippa's mother was an eccentric Texas heiress, and believed that her daughter would set the example for ending racism. She kept Philippa isolated. Hailed in the New York Times as "the Shirley Temple of American Negroes," Schuyler was performing public recitals and radio broadcasts by age four. In later life, Schuyler grew disillusioned with the racial and gender prejudice she encountered, particularly when performing in the United States, and much of her musical career was spent playing overseas. She fled to Latin America, where mixed races were more prevalent. She chose a voluntary exile of traveling and performing in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Europe. She played at the inauguration of three successive presidents in Haiti. In Africa, she performed for various notables such as Haile Se…
Comments
Post a Comment