Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield Typically, Black Americans have reached their most noted fame through their talents in music and sports; although, we have been taught the impact of individuals like Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on thehistory of America. Movies have been produced that reinforce our knowledge of thehistory of blacks: "Roots" gave us an in-depth look into slavery; "Once Upon a TimeWhen We Were Colored People" gave us a deeper understanding of the effects ofsegregation; and "Malcolm X" showed us hate between races. But even with America’sattempts to educate its people and give light to those African-Americans who have greatlycontributed to the shaping of our nation, many people are still unaware of the manyaccomplishments which have been credited to Black Americans. Elizabeth Taylor-Greenfield is one of these African-American’s who has made several accomplishmentsthat many may be unaware of. The gifted, African-American singer, whose exceptional voice made her a popularperformer in Great Britain, was , Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield(1817-1876). She wasprobably born in 1817 as a slave in Natchez, Mississippi. As a child Elizabethaccompanied her mistress to Philadelphia. When her mistress joined the Society ofFriends and freed her slaves Elizabeth chose to stay with her and took her last name. Mrs.Greenfield encouraged Elizabeth with her musical talents. She continued to study musicafter the death of Mrs. Greenfield in 1845. In 1851 Elizabeth gave her first public concertin New York. She made a tour of several cities from Boston to Chicago. A testimonialconcert in Buffalo raised enough funds to finance Elizabeth's trip to Europe for additionaltraining. She was aided by Lord Shaftesbury and Harriet Beecher Stowe and by theDuchess of Sutherland, who became her patroness. She toured cities in the East andMidwest, then traveled to England in 1854 where her performances we...
