Despite singer Marian Anderson’s reluctance to become involved in racial issues and the civil rights movement, her presence in the music world inevitably led to the breaking down of racial barriers. The most significant was her performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, which made her the first African American to perform there.
Marian Anderson was born into a working class family in Philadelphia. From early childhood, Anderson had a passion for singing. When she was six years old, she joined the junior choir at the Union Baptist Church.
When she was eighteen, she began attending high school while performing professionally. After she graduated in 1921, she applied to a music school, but was rejected because of her race. Instead of attending school, she began studying classical songs and arias with voice instructor Guiseppe Boghetti.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Anderson toured and trained throughout Europe. She performed in England, Germany, France, Sweden, Asia, and the Soviet Union. She made appearances at the opera houses of London, Oslo, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Helsinki. Some of the best composers and conductors accompanied her performances.
Marian Anderson Faces Bigotry
Anderson’s European tour gave her the publicity she needed. She became a well-regarded singer who received recognition throughout Europe and the United States for superior ability. Despite her growing popularity and talent, in 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on the account of her race. Their refusal received negative publicity, and Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR in protest. In response to the DAR’s refusal, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes invited her to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On April 9, 1939, Anderson sang in front of 75,000 people. Millions saw the live broadcast.
On January 7, 1955, Anderson broke down a color barrier. She became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In her opera debut, she appeared in the production Un Ballo in Mascher. She received a standing ovation.
Anderson was the recipient of numerous awards. Eleanor Roosevelt presented her with the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal (1939), she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1963), President Carter awarded her the congressional gold medal (1977), and in 1991, she received a Grammy award for lifetime achievement.
Anderson performed in her last tour at the age of 68. When she was 94, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer and decided not to undergo treatment. She died in Portland, Oregon on April 8, 1993.
