Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American contralto and a leading international opera star in the 1930s. She also became a civil rights activist, performing for four U.S. presidents and becoming the first black person to perform at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.
She was also one of America’s most celebrated singers of her era, becoming so well known that she once remarked: “There is no way I can be ignored.”
At the age of three, she was permanently blinded in one eye when her Aunt Lizzie accidentally poked her in the face with a stick. She found that blindness limited what she could do as a child but still sang and played piano for church services to earn pocket money. Anderson was keen from an early age on education and reading books about African-American history.
Aged eleven, Marian had become so skilled at performing traditional songs he learned by ear that she entered two singing competitions back-to-back, winning first prize in both events–a feat which caused other parents to urge their children into voice lessons too! At fifteen years old, after spending some time teaching music to pay expenses while studying at Howard University, Anderson decided to focus on singing.
In 1958, Anderson toured the southern states at a time when segregation was still legal in many states and racism rife. She wrote of her experiences to show that more than one person can live with dignity despite exterior circumstances.
What I Learned About Marian’s Musical Career: She toured the southern states while segregation laws were still legally enforced meaning racism had a big effect on those living there. But what surprised people about her was that she has always been an advocate for equality because even though it wasn’t right, she still managed to live with dignity. In 1968 when segregation laws were finally abolished in many states and racism rife, Marian showed her support for striking factory workers by recording “We Shall Overcome” as part of Pete Seeger’s ‘Clearwater’ project.
In the late 1800s, a group called the Society of American Indians was founded which promoted Indian art and culture while trying to fight stereotypes that they thought were unfair or inaccurate. And another organization, The Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) is also doing work promoting Native arts like pottery and weaving along with using social media campaigns like #wewearyourskinwhich feature articles highlighting Native artists in order to combat mainstream representations of Natives as only being poor, homeless or violent.
In 1966 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Lyndon B Johnson for her work in Civil Rights and peace activism. During this time when racism was rampant not just in America but across Europe too, Marian showed her support for striking factory workers by recording “We Shall Overcome” as part of Pete Seeger’s ‘Clearwater’ project. In 1968 she also became an activist against nuclear war with a concert at Carnegie Hall to raise funds to build fallout shelters that could protect up to ten thousand people from radiation exposure should there be another nuclear disaster like what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. She continued speaking out about civil rights issues throughout her life until the day before she died when she released a video with the message “We have to find peace.”
Marian sang civil rights songs like “we shall overcome” and anti-nuclear war messages in Carnegie Hall
She was also an activist for black power, feminism, gay rights, and more. She protested against racism during her time as well. Marian showed recognition of America’s racist history by wearing traditional African clothing at many of her concerts. In fact, it was this that first caught my attention about how much she cared for people from all backgrounds because I had never seen anyone do something like that before or since then until now. This is what led me to want to know so much more about who Mary really was when we didn’t just learn everything from her songs and when I wanted to know her own story.
Marian’s activism for civil rights, feminism, gay rights, black power in America led me to want to learn more about the person behind these messages
I learned that Marian was a strong advocate of peace who sang many anti-nuclear war messages as well as encouraging people not just on an individual level but on national levels too with her music
She also openly supported other artists like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Woody Guthrie by giving them advice or money when they needed it most which is something very hard to find nowadays because so many celebrities are only interested in themselves. It makes you feel good inside knowing she cared enough about others than herself even if she might have been struggling herself
She also was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa as well
This is just a small taste of what I learned about Marian. Check out her Wikipedia page for more information on who she really was.”
