Marian Anderson

1902-1993

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"A voice like hers comes once a century," said Arturo Toscanini. Even as a child her voice was so stunning that her church set up a special fund for her music education. From the choir of a black church in Philadelphia, she went on to an exceptional international career as a concert and opera singer, overcoming the obstacles of racial discrimination in the arts. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow her to perform in their auditorium, Constitution Hall, because she was black. In a triumph over bigotry, Marian Anderson drew an audience of 75,000 for her Easter Sunday concert, relocated to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

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