Samuel Coleridge-Taylor suppressed his anger while he shook the president’s hand. He couldn’t ignore the Black servants standing just behind them. The laughter and dancing in the room were honoring him – but his people were still oppressed and suffering.
Even while he received accolades, he couldn’t forget they treated his people as second-class citizens.
As a boy, his father had returned to Africa, abandoning him – he’d been shunned from practicing medicine in England. He’d spent his life determining his destiny through the pursuit of music. But was it enough?
He’d set the poems of his friend, legendary poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, to music. Coleridge-Taylor infused African influences into his compositions. But how could he show his people his heart?
He took his place before the musicians and raised his conductor’s bow.
These pieces were for ALL Black people suffering from white supremacy in the U.S. and globally. He stabbed the air with his bow, sending Black people a message of power and resilience.
This night – this composition – was for them. Did the President suspect anything?
Who cares? Taylor, an ardent advocate for his people, became a symbol for Black people worldwide to continue seeking excellence and fighting racism in all its forms. Like Taylor, we, too, can use our gifts to uplift and impact our people worldwide.