Tenor Russell Thomas, an artist-in-residence at LA Opera since 2021, has been working to expand the company’s creative and community engagement programs, taking particular care to connect with the next generation of singers. In 2021, he began contacting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to discuss potential partnerships involving their students. Of the 82 emails he sent to such institutions, however, only three responded. “It can be a very closed community, unfortunately,” Thomas says. “These colleges want to protect their students, but sometimes you can be so protectionist that you miss out on opportunities.”