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Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Dorothy Maynor | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | Dorothy Leigh Mainor September 3, 1910 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 19, 1996 (aged 85) |
| Genre | Opera |
| Years active | 1933–1979 |
Dorothy Leigh Mainor (September 3, 1910 – February 19, 1996), known as Dorothy Maynor, was an American soprano, concert singer, and the founder of the Harlem School of the Arts. Considered one of the great singers of her generation, Maynor had a voice that was simultaneously sweet and supple and formidably powerful, with a mezza that was "magically ethereal."[1] Maynor is noted as the first African–American to sing at a presidential inauguration, performing at President Harry S. Truman's inaugural gala in 1949.
Born Dorothy Leigh Mainor on September 3, 1910 in the town of Norfolk, Virginia, Maynor's parents were the Reverend John J. Mainor, a local African-American Methodist minister and his wife Alice (Jefferson) Mainor. Maynor attended Hampton Institute, a preparatory school and college created for freed Black slaves, where she studied under R. Nathaniel Dett. After her graduation from the Institute in 1933, Maynor received a four-year scholarship to the Westminster Choir School in Princeton, New Jersey.[2]
In 1939, Maynor performed at the Berkshire Festival where she was given an audition before Sergei Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She performed Lieder (German art songs), spirituals, and the "Ho-jo-to-ho" aria from Wagner's Die Walküre. Koussevitzky was inspired to proclaim her voice a "miracle" and a "musical revelation" that "the world must hear."[1] She then sang "O, Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me" in front of the music press at Koussevitzky's annual picnic. The New York Times critic Noel Straus called her a "songstress of startling powers." Her debut at The Town Hall in New York City on 9 December 1939 was "the musical event of the 1939 season" and her performance was widely praised by the music press, with Olin Downes writing of "her superb voice, one of the finest that the public can hear today." She received the Town Hall Endowment Series Award for 1940 as a result of this performance.[3] In New York, she was taught by voice instructors William Clamroth and John Alan Haughton.[4]
In one particularly noteworthy concert in 1942 in Long Beach, California, Maynor sang during a wartime blackout until the all-clear was given. Maynor's voice transfixed the audience of 4000 people, easing their fears, and after the blackout was lifted, the audience remained for several encores.[1]
Although Maynor learned 23 operas, racism precluded her from performing in opera houses.[1] Nevertheless, her voice was praised widely by critics, with Paul Hume of the Washington Post calling her voice "glorious" and Olin Downes labeling her a "consummate artist." Maynor toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Latin America, performing in concert halls and frequently on the radio. Her signature song was Gustave Charpentier's Depuis Le Jour from Louise, her version of which critic Howard Taubman declared as the "most beautiful since... Mary Garden."[1]
In 1949, Maynor became the first African–American to sing at a presidential inauguration, performing at President Harry S. Truman's inaugural gala in 1949.[5] and at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1953 presidential inauguration at DAR Constitution Hall,[6] where the Daughters of the American Revolution famously refused to let Marian Anderson sing in 1939. Though many maintain that Anderson's performance at Eisenhower's 1957 inauguration broke color barriers, Maynor's performances have received comparably less attention, despite predating Anderson by eight years. In 1949, Maynor was featured in an episode of Richard Durham's radio drama Destination Freedom, with Charmaine Anderson playing her character.[7]
In 1964, Maynor founded the Harlem School of the Arts which was designed to give music education at a reduced rate to the mostly Black and Latine children of Harlem.[8] Maynor called it a "cultural oasis in a sea of despair." She conceived the idea of the school when, while at the Savoy dance club in New York, she noticed white musicians scribbling down the intricate rhythms of the Black performers. She resolved at that moment that Black people would learn the disciplines of music to restore the "sound of music" to Harlem's streets and let Black people reap the rewards of their talents. When Maynor started the school, it was a one woman operation, with Maynor serving as administrator, teacher, and janitor.[1] Under Maynor's directorship the school grew from 20 students to 1,000 by the time of her retirement in 1979. She left the school under the directorship of Betty Allen, the American mezzo-soprano.
Maynor received honorary degrees from several universities including Westminster Choir College, Oberlin College, The Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford), and two degrees from Howard University. In 1975, Maynor became the first African-American on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1942, Maynor married Reverend Shelby Rooks, the pastor of Harlem's St. James Presbyterian Church where the Harlem School of the Arts was originally located. After her retirement from the school, Maynor moved to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania with her husband.[9] Maynor died on 19 February 1996 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.[9]
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Dorothy Leigh Mainor (September 3, 1910 – February 19, 1996), known as Dorothy Maynor, was an American soprano, concert singer, and the founder of the Harlem School of the Arts. Considered one of the great singers of her generation, Maynor had a voice that was simultaneously sweet and supple and formidably powerful, with a mezza that was "magically ethereal." Maynor is noted as the first African–American to sing at a presidential inauguration, performing at President Harry S. Truman's inaugural gala in 1949.
Maynor may refer to: Surname Eric Maynor, American basketball player Connell Maynor, American football player and coach Dorothy Maynor, American soprano Eugene Maynor, American coach Helen Maynor Scheirbeck, Native American educator and activist Jordan Maynor, American politician Kevin Maynor, American opera singer Given name Maynor Figueroa, Honduran footballer Maynor Suazo, Honduran footballer Maynor Dávila, Guatemalan footballer Places Maynor, West Virginia
Ernst Victor Wolff (August 6, 1889 – August 21, 1960) was a German-born concert pianist and harpsichordist, who maintained a career not only as a soloist but also as a respected accompanist. Singers with whom he performed included Dorothy Maynor and Alexander Kipnis; he accompanied the latter in the Hugo Wolf Society recording project of the 1930s. As a harpsichordist, on February 20, 1938, he participated in the Carnegie Hall premiere of J.S. Bach's Coffee Cantata under the direction of Walter Damrosch; the other performers on that occasion included singers Charles Kullman, Helen Jepson, and Lawrence Tibbett; flutist Frances Blaisdell; violinists Jascha Heifetz and Sascha Jacobsen; violist Léon Barzin; cellist Gaspar Cassadó; and double bassist Anselme Fortier. From 1947 until his death, Wolff taught at Michigan State University. His widow and family donated a collection of his papers to the MSU library; it includes photographs and other memorabilia and his diary, student notes, and performing scores. MSU has established an Ernst Victor Wolff Memorial Fund to support awards to meritorious music students. Perhaps his most distinguished student was the American conductor, musicologist, and harpsichordist Alan Curtis.
Dorothy is a feminine given name. It is the English vernacular form of the Greek Δωροθέα (Dōrothéa) meaning 'God's gift', from δῶρον (dōron) 'gift' + θεός (theós) 'god'. It has been in use since the 15th century. Although much less common, there are also male equivalents in English such as Dory, from the Greek masculine Δωρόθεος (Dōrótheos). Dorofei is a rarely used Russian male version of the name. The given names Theodore and Theodora are derived from the same two Greek root words as Dorothy, albeit reversed in order. The name grew in use among Christians due to popular legends surrounding Saint Dorothy of Caeserea. The name was at one time viewed as the English equivalent of the etymologically unrelated Russian name Daria or its diminutive Dasha. Traditional English diminutives include, among others, Do, Dodi, Dodie, Doe, Doll, Dolley, Dollie, Dolly, Dora, Dori, Dorie, Doro, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Tea, Thea, and Tia. Dorothy, with the nickname Doll or Dolly, was quite popular from 1450 to 1570 in England. Dorothy or the variant Dorothea, also with the nicknames Doll or Dolly, was also well used between 1750 and 1820. There are also many variants of the name in other languages. Dorothy was a less common variant of Dorothea until it became more common and one of the top 10 most popular names for girls in the United States between 1904 and 1940. The name remained among the top 100 most popular names for American girls until 1961. It briefly left the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States in 2007 but returned in 2011 and has since increased in popularity. In 2023, it ranked 466th among the most used names for newborn girls in the United States, with 658 girls given the name in that year. Variant Dorothea is in occasional use in the United States, where 61 girls were given the name in 2023.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.
