From Solitary Confinement to the Metropolitan Opera

The Takeaway | Dec 2, 2016

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

For Ryan Speedo Green, it was a long and unlikely journey from solitary confinement to the grand stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Green, a 30-year-old bass-baritone, made his debt at the Met in Puccin's "La Bohème" this fall.

It was a goal he set for himself many years ago, growing up in difficult socioeconomic conditions in southeastern Virginia. His remarkable story is chronicled in the new book, "Sing For Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family," by Daniel Bergner.

For our ongoing series, "Uncomfortable Truths: Confronting Racism in America," WNYC's Rebecca Carroll sat down with Green and Bergner to talk about race in America, particularly in post-Trump America. 

Want to participate in our "Uncomfortable Truths" series? Nominate yourself and a guest to record a conversation about race in 2016 — fill out the form below and a producer from our team may contact you. 

 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

9/11 25 Years Later: Remembering the Ordinary Americans Who Died on 9/11

New Jersey columnist Mike Kelly, tells the stories of ordinary Americans, who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

2026 Fall Schedule Change

WNYC followed up with people whose voices we captured in the aftermath of the September 11th attack to hear their reflections.
WNYC |

Colin Kaepernick, Ten Years After Taking a Knee

In his new memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” the former N.F.L. star recounts the backlash he faced from the league.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

A Documentary Spotlights the Oldest People in the World

All Of It with Alison Stewart |
YOU ARE ONLINE