Marian Anderson
Born into a poor Philadelphia family, Anderson grew up with singing as the center of her life. Her first public performances included singing spirituals at the Union Baptist Church at the age of six. The music director quickly identified her as a musical prodigy. Her local community pooled money together to pay for professional lessons, which brought her to the attention of Giuseppe Boghetti, a professional voice instructor.
Realizing the impressive skills of his pupil, Boghetti entered Anderson into a voice contest at the New York Philharmonic. After winning first place in a field of 300, she signed with the Philharmonic, premiering in 1925. Despite her seemingly meteoric success, her career faltered. The most significant barrier was, of course, her race. As an African-American, she was denied entry to many restaurants and hotels, restrictions that made a singing tour almost impossible. Not to be discouraged, she ventured to Europe in the 1930s, where she found a much more receptive audience. While in Europe, Sol Hurok, a manager, saw her in Paris and convinced her that she should return to the Unisted States after becoming such a celebrity in Europe . Anderson signed Hurok as her manager, setting the stage for the incident that would forever cement her place in history.
After several successful recitals, Hurok wanted Anderson to perform for a large audience in a national venue. Consequently, he petitioned the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for use of their Constitution Hall. The DAR was one of the most prestigious societies in the Unted States, founded by women whose ancestors had fought in the American War for Independence. It was dedicated to the celebration of patriotism, the ongoing efforts for historical preservation, and continued education about American history. The DAR denied Hurok’s request because Constitution Hall specifically banned minorities from performing there.
Hurok, frustrated by this segregationist policy, took the DAR’s decision public, generating a monumental backlash against the organization. The DAR’s most prominent member, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, promptly resigned her membership, saying: “I am in complete disagreement with the attitude taken in refusing Constitution Hall to a great artist. You have set an example which seems to me unfortunate, and I feel obliged to send in to you my resignation. You had an opportunity to lead in an enlightened way and it seems to me that your organization has failed.” U.S. Interior Secretary, Harold Ickes expressed his outrage by offering to allow Marian Anderson to perform an Easter Sunday concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson performed for an estimated 75,000 people, her concert was broadcasted by radio to millions.
Anderson forever remained a household name after the DAR controversy. The DAR invited Anderson to Constitution Hall six times after 1939. She premiered at the Metropolitan Opera, the first African-American to do so, in 1955. She sang at the inaugurations of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, made a world tour representing the US State Department, and ended her career by singing at Carnegie Hall on April 18, 1965. She demonstrated her dedication to social justice by serving as an alternative representative to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. She also gave benefit performances for the Congress for Racial Equality and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Her later years were filled with accolades for her half century of singing. In 1963 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1978 she was among the first group of artists to receive Kennedy Center Honors. In 1984 she was the first person honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, given by New York City . In 1986, President Reagan bestowed upon her the National Arts Medal. She died on April 8, 1993 from stroke-induced heart failure.