Blind Tom: The First Black Man To Perform At The White House Was Blind, Autistic, A Slave And A Musical Prodigy
Nicknamed Blind Tom by his “handlers”, Thomas Wiggins made history by being the first African American man to perform at the White House.
At the age of five, Thomas overheard his slave owner’s daughter taking piano lessons.
This is when Thomas’ owner, General James Neil Bethune, first heard his little blind slave demonstrating an amazing knack for the piano.
Because Thomas was a slave, and unable to care for himself because of his disability, Thomas’ owner took full advantage of the opportunity to exploit and control Thomas’ musical gift.
However, because Thomas was African American, a slave, and disabled, his musical contributions are often ignored and minimized by mainstream historians.