When I Rise

    Barbara Smith Conrad (born 1940) is an American operatic mezzo-soprano of international acclaim. Born Barbara Smith, she was raised inCenter Point near Pittsburg, Texas. In 1957, Barbara Conrad became the focus of a racial controversy revolving around her role in a student opera at The University of Texas at Austin. Pressure from the Texas Legislature forced her … [Read more...] about Thursday Open Thread- African-American Opera Singers