Voices of Freedom: Marian Anderson
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
Highlighting Juneteenth
Marian Anderson
(1897-1993)
Musician
“The minute a person whose word means a great deal dares to take the open-hearted and courageous way, many others follow.”
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia. Her father, John Anderson, was a retailer; her mother, Annie Rucker Anderson, a former schoolteacher. Along with her parents and her two younger sisters, Marian attended Union Baptist Church in Philadelphia, where, from the age of six, she sang: first in the choirs, then as a soloist. Her father’s sister Mary encouraged Marian to pursue a career in music as a singer. A natural contralto, she was able to study voice in Philadelphia thanks to financial support of the black community.
Anderson’s career began in 1925, when she won a competition sponsored by the New York Philharmonic. In 1929, she won a fellowship from a fund sponsored by Chicago’s Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and chairman of Sears Roebuck & Company, which allowed her to study voice in Europe. There, her career took off, with triumphant recitals throughout the continent. In 1934, she returned to the United States to tour and make recordings.
In the spring of 1939, Anderson was booked to perform in Washington, DC. However, due to the Jim Crow laws in force in the District at the time, the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Anderson the use of Constitution Hall. Other venues also closed their doors to her. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used her influence to permit Anderson to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Her recital on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, was attended by 75,000 people and broadcast nationwide.
Anderson continued her highly successful career until her retirement in 1965. She continued to make public appearances and receive many honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, until her death in 1992, at the age of 96.
Katheryn Russell-Brown’s biography of Marian Anderson for young readers is available from the Kenosha Public Library.
