Part 4: Lift Every Voice, 1920--

“To the black communities that help them to rise, the black concert artists who achieved the distinction during the Black Renaissance were more than just talented and successful individuals… Whenever an artist succeeded in breaking down a color barrier, he inspired other talented black (people) to overcome almost insurmountable difficulties in order to emulate him. In a very real sense, he was a trail-blazer… Predictably, it was the black singer who led the way to the international concert stage; over the years black singers had met with less discrimination than instrumentalists, and the post-world War I years proved to be no different in that regard.”

-- The Music of Black Americans, Page 400