In 1955 Anderson became the first African-American to sing in an opera at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. And in 1963 she sang as part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in which Martin Luther King made his famous I Have a Dream speech. She sang, again, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Marian Anderson, Singer and Diplomat Learn about vocalist Marian Anderson and how she became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Anderson broke barriers with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt and JFK and later contributed to the Civil Rights Movement.

On January 7, 1955 she became the first African American to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. One year later, she published her autobiography, My Lord, What a Morning. In 1957, Anderson sang at the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who later made her a goodwill ambassador.

She was the first African American singer to perform at the White House and also the first African American to sing with New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia on Feb. 17, 1902, and was educated in the public schools. She displayed a remarkable flair for singing when very young.

The Lincoln Memorial concert made Anderson an international celebrity. It overshadowed the rest of her long life as a performer — she was 96 when she died in 1993. Eventually she did sing at Constitution Hall. By that time, the DAR had apologized and changed its rules.

Eighty years ago Tuesday, contralto singer Marian Anderson performed on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial, after being refused the largest indoor stage in Washington because she was black. It was a remarkable moment in civil rights and U.S. history.

She displayed a remarkable skill for singing when she was very young, and she loved singing for her church choir. When she could not afford singing lessons, her fellow choir members raised the money that allowed her to study with a famous singing teacher.

The Baby Contralto

On April 9, 1939, American contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) stood as a beacon of hope for a country being torn apart by racial strife. Anderson’s legendary performance at the Lincoln Memorial on that Easter Sunday exists in the annals of American history as a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement.

Marian Anderson performing at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. It was attended by approximately 75,000 people. By 1939, Marian Anderson had studied and performed for audiences worldwide. …

Marian Anderson performed on Easter Sunday, not just to the 75,000 people standing before her, but to millions listening on the radio. Six microphones carried her voice for blocks. Marian Anderson in front of the Lincoln Memorial..

Anderson was an important figure in the struggle for African-American artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. On January 7, 1955, Anderson became the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.

It was a bold protest against racial intolerance, performed before a diverse crowd. In that moment, Anderson — despite being a fiercely private person — transformed into a symbol for the nascent civil rights movement, even inspiring a 10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr., who listened on the radio.

Opera singer

On her frequent tours of the United States, Marian experienced racial prejudice on a daily basis; she was often denied access to lodging or dining facilities. Perhaps the most famous incident of her career is tinged by the hatred of racism.

Miss Anderson married Orpheus H. Fisher, an architect, in 1943; he died in 1986. They had no children. The singer spent her retirement at her farm, which she named Marianna, in Danbury, Conn., and although in her last years she had to use a wheelchair, she was occasionally seen at concerts in New York City.

Classical vocalist Marian Anderson became a civil rights icon in 1939 when she sang before 75,000 spectators at the Lincoln Memorial — a concert organized after she was barred from singing at Constitution Hall because of her race.

Deceased (1897–1993)

Eventually, she decided to go to Europe where she spent a number of months studying voice before launching a highly successful European singing tour. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall.

When Marian first started singing, what was the hardest part of her life? Her voice sounded awful.

three octaves

She was once again invited to perform at the White House in June 1939 for the King and Queen of England. One month later, Mrs. Roosevelt presented Marian with the Spingarn Medal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Marian Anderson was the first African-American soloist to perform with the Metropolitan Opera and paved the way for such future greats as Leontyne Price and Jessye Norman. She had a purity of tone in her contralto voice and a three octave vocal range which are still remembered.

She is also a hero because she set standards for herself and stuck to her dream. Marion found something she was good at and carried out a dream even though people told her she didn’t have a chance at it. Marion Anderson was a strong, determined woman who followed her dream and that is why she is my role model.

I have a dream

Marian Anderson, (born February 27, 1897, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died April 8, 1993, Portland, Oregon), American singer, one of the finest contraltos of her time.

Danbury

In 1928, she sang for the first time at Carnegie Hall. Eventually, she decided to go to Europe where she spent a number of months studying voice before launching a highly successful European singing tour. In the late 1930s, Anderson gave about 70 recitals a year in the United States.

Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. She became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century.

Orpheus H. Fisher