ABSTRACT
Act III, Chapter 4 examines the career of Wayne Brown, the only executive opera manager of color in history to manage at an OPERA America level 2 company. What is unique about Mr. Brown's career narrative is that he returned to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, a town where 78% of the population identifies as Black, to take the helm of Michigan Opera Theatre. While Mr. Brown remained adamant that achieving access, diversity, equity, and inclusion requires a holistic approach, he argued that it is also community specific. He stated, “What works in Detroit, might not work in another city.” Mr. Brown's career demonstrates that arts managers have to remain flexible and open to possibilities at all points in their career to maximize their potential for success.
