After reading Mr. Moore’s article “Being Black is an Advantage,” I can say that I do agree that African American opera singers have more opportunities in opera but I do not believe they have equal pay in Opera. African American’s have come a long way in all genres of music but especially in Opera. It was more accepted for African American’s to be Opera singers in Europe than the United States. As Mr. Moore said, people were not comfortable with a black male to have relations with a white woman in opera back in the days but that was because of the times black people were living in. It was accepted that black people had talent and were meant to perform for white people in the United States but interacting with white people in any way, was not appropriate. Today’s society has come to accept all black artists. We are at the top of music billboards in several genres. It seems as if we are climbing to the top in Opera. Recognized worldwide as one of today’s most exciting vocal stars, American mezzo-soprano, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim. ‘USA Today’ identifies her as “an operatic superstar of the 21st Century. I do not believe it is any harder for African American men to be in Opera than a woman. Like all other genres I feel that it is harder for an African American women because they have so many more expectations that a man does not have. I feel that men get more respect in music and don’t have to worry about certain things such as personal appearance and the way they should present themselves. African American men in Opera have also been climbing up the ladder in Opera including Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens. Brownlee is considered the ‘King of the High D’s’. Lawrence Brownlee has performed almost every leading Bel Canto role in every major opera house all over the world. He was the winner of both the 2006 Marian Anderson and Richard Tucker Awards, a feat never before achieved by any artist in the same year. Eric Owens is the most respected living American male vocalist. Mr. Owens is a recipient of the Marian Anderson award and the Placido Domingo Operalia Competition and is certainly one of the most in demand working musicians alive today.