• SINGER
• Started singing at six years old in her church, which raised money to pay for her to go to music school, but the school wouldn't let her attend because she was Black
• Her first concert in New York was barely attended, and widely panned by white critics, causing her to give up music for several months
• Traveled to England to finally get the formal schooling she needed
• FIRST African-American classical singer to gain international celebrity, eventually becoming the highest paid singer in the world
• FIRST Black singer to perform for the President at the White House
• Even after Anderson had achieved international acclaim, in Washington D.C. she was denied permission to hold a concert at Constitution Hall because she was Black
• Eleanor Roosevelt helped the NAACP organize a recital for her on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which was attended by 75,000 people, the largest gathering ever in D.C. up to that point
• FIRST person of color to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City
• Performed at the Presidential inaugurations of Eisenhower and Kennedy
• Sang at the 1963 March on Washington
• Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Photo by S. Hurok-classical concert promoter [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Art As Activism

Anderson was not outspoken when it came to protesting racism. She used her voice in a different way, wielding her unquestionable and superb talent as a powerful counterargument against ignorant stereotypes. For example, in 1935, she was denied the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Salzburg Festival because of Hitler's racist policies. In response, she performed at a Salzburg hotel in front of hundreds of people, many of whom were musicians and scheduled to be at the Festival. Still, in the 1950s, as civil rights activists were shifting towards more overt strategies, she was criticized for performing in segregated halls. At first Anderson refused to boycott such venues, agreeing only after one of her own concerts was boycotted by Black audiences.

Bibliography: Harrison, Vashti. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2017. Print.
Nettles, Darryl G. "Anderson, Marian." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2008, 107-108.
“Voice of Freedom.” PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/voice-freedom/. 
Thurman, Kira. (2020, July 15). When Marian Anderson Defied the Nazis. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/when-marian-anderson-defied-the-nazis

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