February is Black History Month! In observance, we are posting about African Americans who have made important contributions that have impacted and enriched the lives of all of us.
Who is Marian Anderson?
On February 27th, 1897, Marian Anderson was born to John and Anna Anderson in Philadelphia, PA. She was the oldest of daughters. Her singing career started at the age of 13 when she began singing in her church’s senior choir. Her contralto sound and vocal ability gained her recognition and she began receiving and accepting invitations to sing. In August of 1925, Anderson sang at the Lewisohn Stadium competition. Defeating 300 competitors, Anderson won the competition and sang with the Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying her at New York City’s amphitheater.
Marian Anderson was a rising star who used her fame to address social and civil rights issues facing African Americans. After being denied to perform in front of an integrated audience at Constitution Hall (by the “Daughter of the American Revolution”) in 1939, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with the help of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt arranged for Anderson to sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. That day, Anderson sang in front of 75,000 people, with millions more listening via a live radio broadcast. In addition, Anderson worked as a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Human Right Committee for the U.S. State Department. Anderson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Congressional Gold Medal in 1971, and many other awards during her lifetime.
Marian Anderson died on April 8th, 1993 in her nephew’s home in Portland, Oregon at the age of 96.
For more information on Marian Anderson, check out the official website of Marian Anderson – https://www.marian-anderson.com/
