EVERY age and clime has been blessed with sweet
singers, both in song and verse. Many women have
attained to rare excellence in each of these lofty voca-
tions. Among modern songsters Jenny Lind, Patti
and Parepa have won golden laurels. In verse Eliza-
beth Barrett Browning stands pre-eminent. She not
only honored her own English island home, but sunny
Italy, the land of her adoption, has been purified and
sweetened by the power of her verse. And with rare
appreciation and devotion has this land of poetry and
art showered honors on this sweet singer.

That we, too, of the African race have equally shared
in the gift of the muses, having had sweet singers born
among us, I have chosen for my theme, "The Afro-
American Woman in Verse."

Have we not had among us Elizabeth Greenfield,
"The Black Swan," and have we not now Madame
Selika, Flora Batson, Madame Jones and Madame
Nellie Brown Mitchell? Crowned heads, as well as
the uncrowned populace, have delighted to do honor
to many of the sweet singers of our race. And have
not two continents hung in breathless silence on

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