As many of you know, my all-time favorite American composer was Scott Joplin, the king of ragtime. What some of you may not know is that Joplin wrote his first opera in 1901 (unfortunately lost), called "A Guest of Honor". The subject of the opera was one of the most controversial events of the day: President Theodore Roosevelt had actually invited Booker T. Washington, civil rights leader and educator, and a black man, to a White House dinner in his honor! In the eyes of many, this was a scandal, and Roosevelt sustained as much criticism for this as for perhaps any other political move he made while in office.

How pleasant to think what African-American composer Scott Joplin might have felt had he been witness to the events in Washington today. And how gratifying to know that such change has taken place, as Joplin always believed it would.

Mike