However, white people fell back into their habits of theft and stole ragtime. They made a complete mockery of ragtime. White people used ragtime to oppress Black people through blackface, minstrel shows, and cakewalks. Scott Joplin is one of the greatest ragtime pianists of all time. Joplin was born in 1868 in Texarkana, Texas. He was raised by his mother, a singer, and his father, a banjo player, and violinist. Joplin first learned to play the guitar but later discovered his talent for piano playing. Joplin’s ragtime music is easily recognized because it is everywhere, even today. Some of his most well-known songs are” The Entertainer” (1902),” “Solace” (1987), and “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899), which is actually the first written piece of music to sell over a million copies.