On this day in 1939, opera star Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall, where the concert was first scheduled, because she was African American.
Freedom Fighter
On this day in 1939, opera star Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall, where the concert was first scheduled, because she was African American.
In a famous stand for civil rights, Anderson enlisted the help of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and the rest is history.
Can you guess why it was significant that Anderson sang at the foot of President Abraham Lincoln's statue? (Hint: The Civil War was fought during Lincoln's presidency.)
What later civil rights event took place at the Lincoln Memorial? (Hint: "I Have a Dream")
To learn more about civil rights and other "fighters for freedom" visit A Journey through Art with William H. Johnson.
Pictured: William H. Johnson, 1901–70, Marian Anderson, about 1945, oil on paperboard, 35 3/8 x 28 7/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation.