Marian Anderson is a African- American opera/ classical singer. She lived from 1897 - 1993.
Marian Anderson grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the oldest of three (3) children, all girls. Her youngest sister Ethel (1902 - 1990) was also a singer. Ethel son James DePreist is a noticed musical conductor!
Marian started singing around age six (6), she was influenced by her Aunt. Her Aunt, would set up singing engagements around town for Marian to sing at. She was paid a small fee for singing and enjoyed singing very much! She began singing bigger venues in her teens and was paid up to five (5) dollars which was a considerable amount of money in those days!
Marian song around Philadelphia much as she could, but she was Black and this limited her where she could sing. This did not help her situation any, since she was already poor and could not take proper singing lessons.
Marian Anderson took a chance like many performing artist of that era and went to Europe to pursuit their careers! Many did really well because they did not encounter racism like in America. Europeans also benefited from Blacks coming to Europe, this enhance European culture greatly!
*Tip
Blacks coming to Europe to perform such as Marian Anderson, Josephine Baker and Paul Robinson and many more set European up to take over the music industry globally from the late 1950s to early 1970s the British Invasion of music into America and other countries by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and many more.
Marian Anderson found great success and fame in touring all over Europe. Upon coming back to America she faced the same racism, when she had left America. She was refused permission to sing in 1939 at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. by the daughters of the American Revolution!
She married and tried to buy a estate but could not, because she was Black, many property owners refused to sell to her or simply took their property of the market when they found out she was Black.
Things changed a little in 1955 she was a allow to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In 1957 she toured India and the Middle East doing goodwill concerts on the behalf of President Eisenhower and the United States of America government. After that President Eisenhower appointed Marian Anderson to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Marian Anderson went on to fight for Civil Rights for Blacks in America and served on many committee's and received numerous awards and honors for singing, civil and human rights!
Thank you, Marian Anderson we honor you for all you did for us!
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