Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was born in 1897 in Philadelphia. She became one of the greatest opera singers in the world. Anderson had a rich, deep voice called a contralto. She sang classical music and old spiritual songs. She helped make music more fair for Black singers.

Her Music

Anderson started singing in her church choir when she was a little girl. As an adult, she traveled to Europe to study and sing. She performed for kings and queens. She was the first African American singer to perform at a famous opera house in New York called the Metropolitan Opera. She was in her 50s when this finally happened.

Her Famous Concert

In 1939, Anderson wanted to sing at a big hall in Washington, D.C. The owners said no because she was Black. This made many people angry. So the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt helped plan a free concert outside the Lincoln Memorial. About 75,000 people came to hear her sing. It was a historic day for fairness.

Fun Facts

• Anderson won a special medal from the President of the United States in 1963.
• She sang at the ceremony when President John F. Kennedy became president.
• Her church neighbors helped pay for her first singing lessons.

Did You Know?

A famous conductor once said that a voice like Marian Anderson's comes along only once in a hundred years.