(The U.S. Post Office has honored her.)
(the generic 1951 program; this one from her Edmonton concert)
(a glimpse into her concert life from the program)
the impressive Marian Anderson (1897-1993), the internationally famous black American, classically-trained rich contralto-superstar who led the way for racial equality on the entertainment scene.
She was the first black singer at the New York Metropolitan and, after being denied performing at a concert hall in Washington, D.C. by the American Daughters of the American Revolution, was enabled with the help of the Roosevelts, the N.A.A.C.P., and others to perform in front of 75,000 at the Lincoln Monument in 1939.
Despite prejudice, discrimination, and censoring, she performed in innumerable concert halls throughout the world, including Europe, where she first achieved social acceptance and initial fame in places like Sweden and France.
The above program was from her Feb. 17, 1951 concert in little old Edmonton, long before the Jubilee Auditorium was built.
There is also a new PBS documentary about her and you can see clips from her performances, including the Washington Monument show, online. Her voice was called a female version of Caruso’s and her records were widely listened to as ‘classical entertainment’ much as his were.
I first read about her in a ‘rags to riches’ story in a 1950s school-textbook reader, but knew/appreciated nothing of the political scope of her significant accomplishments on behalf of her people till lately. The above interesting documentary is a celebration of the latter.