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Marian Anderson was born February 17, 1902, in Philadelphia and died there on April 8, 1993. She had a phenomenal contralto voice; her talent and love for singing were recognized at an early age. Because of her singing abilities, she performed in the United States and abroad before dignitaries and in such places as Germany, South America, and Austria. In spite of the barriers she faced as a black artist, she was instrumental in opening doors for and bringing acclaim and recognition to the black artist; but she was also denied many opportunities. In the United States, she found it difficult, if not impossible, to gain acceptance in the arenas her talent should have commanded. In fact, in 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a member of the DAR, resigned in protest after that, and she arranged for Anderson to give an outdoor concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The DAR nevertheless again refused to let her perform in Constitution Hall.

Anderson persevered in the face of racial discrimination; she was the first African American to sing at the White House, to (finally) perform at Constitution Hall (1943), and to sing with the company of New York’s Metropolitan Opera (1955). She sang at the presidential inaugurations of both Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy; under the auspices of the State Department, she toured India and the Far East(1957); she was a delegate to the United Nations (1958), too. With quiet dignity, a superb contralto voice, and a demonstrated love for her people and her country, she fought for human rights.

Helen R. Houston

While Charles rarely made overtly political statements, the tenor and content of his music often conveyed his empathy for the suffering of black America.