U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 13

U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 13

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13: FIRST BLACK CONDUCTOR AT THE MET

Profile America for the 13th day of Black History Month. On October 16, 1972, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City staged a performance of Puccini's "La Boheme," as it had done many times before. But this time was special, as the conductor, Henry Lewis, was the first African- American to conduct the orchestra at the famous opera house. Lewis' appearance at the Met was preceded by other landmarks. At 16, he became the first black instrumentalist with a major U.S. orchestra, then the first to conduct a world class orchestra, and the first to become music director of a major orchestra. Today, there are 182,000 musicians, singers, and other music-related professionals in the U.S., nearly 14 percent of them African-American. This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: African American Registry
Kane's Famous First Facts, 1339
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 616

Profile America Special Edition: Black History Month 2012 is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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http://photoarchive.ap.org/
U.S. Census Bureau

Web Site: http://www.census.gov

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