Marian Anderson

BORN: FEBRUARY 27, 1897, PHILADELPHIA, PA

DIED: APRIL 8, 1993, PORTLAND, OR

None of us is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath.

On an Easter Sunday morning in 1939, Marian Anderson, the internationally acclaimed contralto, sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a welcoming crowd of over 75,000 people, and to millions more who heard her beautiful voice over the radio. Earlier, she had been denied permission to hold the concert in Constitution Hall, which was owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Outraged by this racist affront, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership in the organization and, along with others, made arrangements for Marian to sing at the Lincoln Memorial. Marian was already famous, but this highly publicized performance gave her even greater prominence on the national and international stage. It also focused more public attention on institutionalized racism in the United States.

Marian had always loved to sing. From age six, she sang in the Union Baptist Church choir in Philadelphia. Although her family and teachers recognized and encouraged her tremendous talent, Marian’s parents could not afford to give her music lessons. Her father did buy a piano, however, and Marian taught herself how to play. When she was twelve, members of her church raised money to pay for private voice lessons with Giuseppe Boghetti, a famous teacher. After only two years of study, Marian was performing all over the city and entering national music competitions. At age twenty-eight, she won a competition organized by the New York Philharmonic Society, and more opportunities soon followed.

Marian had a stellar international career, and she thrilled audiences when performing the works of classical Western composers and African American spirituals. She also broke down many racial barriers. She sang at the White House for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and in 1955, she became the first African American to perform at the New York Metropolitan Opera, as Ulrica in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera.

Marian sang at the inaugurations of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy and served as a delegate to the United Nations. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Kennedy in 1963 and received numerous honors for her lifetime of achievements.