Lillian Evanti (August 12, 1890 – December 6, 1967) was an American soprano, composer, and civil rights advocate who broke racial barriers in classical music.

Her paternal grandfather, Henry Evans, was born in North Carolina as a free black man and later moved to Oberlin, Ohio, where he helped with the Underground Railroad.

Evanti's maternal grandfather, John H. Brooks, was elected to the House of Delegates in 1874 and defeated Frederick Douglas Jr.

In Paris, Evanti studied voice with French soprano Gabrielle Ritter-Ciampi and, within the year, moved to Nice, where her instructor advised her to audition at the local opera houses.

In an article by The Chicago Defender (national edition) on September 26, 1925, Evanti goes into detail about the unknown color prejudice she experienced in France after her debut.

The article then goes into a story of her making her first public appearance in a joint recital with a violinist at the home of the distinguished Salmon family: "I feel that Mme.

As Evanti's popularity grew, she sang opera at Toulon, Montpelier, and Monte Carlo, where, in 1926, she was a guest artist of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra.

"When the posters all over Paris announced that an American would interpret "Lakme" on Christmas Eve night, the theater-going public began to wonder.

Along with spirituals, Evanti presented a broad repertoire, including works by Handel, Scarlatti, Bellini, and Rameau, which grabbed the attention of a few "white" papers.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals granted Evanti's petition and ordered Roy Tibbs to pay monthly child support.

[7] In an article by The Chicago Defender (National edition) on August 14, 1943 "Miss Evanti expressed a desire to see more of her race become interested in opera.

She explained that "La Traviata" is offering her an opportunity to translate the role of Violetta in English, in order that a better understanding will be afforded those witnessing the performance."

The Handy Brothers published Evanti's "The Mighty Rapture", "The Twenty-third Psalm", "Thank You Again and Again", "Speak to Him Thou", and "High Flight".

[4] They lived at 1910 Vermont Avenue in the Shaw Neighborhood of Northwest, Washington, D.C., which is now known as the Evans-Tibbs House and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.