Paving the way for the breakdown of colour barriers in classical music scene

Before her time: Minnie Brown

Photo: Greg Nesteroff

Each February, Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the shared history of Black communities in Canada, listen to their stories, and learn more about the contribution of Black settlers to the country's history.

Celebrating diverse histories connects the province’s stories to build a stronger, all-encompassing view of the past. As a part of this recognition, Castanet is highlighting the stories of some of the earliest recorded Black settlers in the Kootenay region.

Minnie Brown

Minnie Brown was an impresario and choir director who lived in Kaslo with her parents, John and Ellen Brown. She attended school there in 1895, where she was recognized for her exceptional singing voice at a young age.

Her musical talents were so widely known throughout the community that townspeople helped collectively pay for her tuition for her to attend a musical school in Spokane, Wash.

She returned to Kaslo to visit in 1902, penning a letter to the Seattle Republican, an influential African American newspaper, praising the town.

After returning, she stayed with Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Perkins and noted that, despite the low black population in Kalso, she always felt welcome.

Later in life, she toured with the musical theatre troupe, Williams and Walker Company. Subsequently, she made her way to Broadway where she performed in the production Mr. Lode of Koal. Her presence broke barriers within the Broadway and classical music scene at the time.

She also served as vice president of the National Association of Negro Musicians in 1920. This in part allowed her to run her own vocal studio in New York throughout the 1920's.

A key figure in the early Black history in the Kootenay region, she paved the way for the future breakdown of racial barriers in the classical music scene in the U.S. and Canada.