'I've practiced going into all spaces saying to myself, 'I belong here. I don't owe anybody anything.' Like, for what? This is my existence and I'm equal.' jnaimarie
Acclaimed mezzo soprano J'Nai Bridges almost didn't make it to the Metropolitan Opera. In high school, she was captain of the varsity basketball team with her sights set on going pro. And though Bridges grew up singing in her church choir, it wasn't until she was forced to choose between the sport she knew and the art she loved that she began taking her passion seriously.
Come senior year, when confronted with two conflicting events –– leading her team to finals victory and important rehearsals for the operaBridges felt she let her team down, but ultimately knew she had to stay true to herself:"And I think it was also a combination of pride and dignity where I was like, 'I'm not going to go to state championships and sit on a bench. I'm just not,'" Bridges says."As a captain, as a queen.
In person, I learn how Bridges showcases a similar strength to the queen she played at the Met, where it comes from and how it is fueling her continual rise to stardom.J'nai Bridges: My mom was a Black Panther at one point in her life, and I think I had a very strong sense of self from an early age as a result. I grew up in Washington state and when I was younger, I went to a private school, where I was the only Black person. And I was like,, and then my younger brother came to the school.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Denied U.S. entry, Mexican cuts own throat on bridge over Rio GrandeA Mexican asylum-seeker slit his own throat on a bridge across the Rio Grande af...
Read more »
The Queen's Office Breaks Its Silence on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Announcement'Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.'
Read more »
Who Will Perform at the 2020 Grammys?Seeing billieeilish, lizzo, and Aerosmith is EXACTLY the chaos I want. Grammys
Read more »
The Queen's Office Breaks Its Silence on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Announcement'Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.'
Read more »
Huge Carnation Mountains Filled the Runway at Jil SanderThe brand staged its men's show in Florence today.
Read more »
Stripteasing Musk launches Tesla SUV program In ChinaTesla’s Shanghai factory, its first outside the U.S., delivered its first cars to customers
Read more »