Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson had a natural talent for music. From childhood to adulthood, her talent only got better. She went from singing in her church choir to performing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In this article I'll tell you more about her amazing life and what shaped her career.
When Marian was young, she had a lot of musical talent, but her parents didn’t have enough money to pay for musical education. Her father believed in her dream, and once he had saved up enough money, he got her a piano. Even after he died, she was still determined to pursue her musical talent. When she was 6 she was taught by the church choir, and they helped raise money to get her music lessons. They were able to get her an experienced instructor by the name of Giuseppe Boghetti. She practiced singing in front of her family and stayed with the church choir, committed to her musical talent. Later in her life, she faced segregation and wasn’t allowed into Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Hall to perform. When Eleanor Roosevelt found out, she let Marian perform in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday. Her performance was live, and 75,000 people showed up to watch her perform.
From when she was little to when she was a grown woman, Marian wanted to improve her skills. Marian had amazing musical talent when she was young, but she grew so much throughout her life. If her voice was good when she was little, imagine how beautiful it was when she was an adult! Marian stuck with the church and the choir, performing all parts of music (alto, soprano, etc..) in front of her family. When she had perfected the music, she was ready to sing it with the choir. Later in her life, Marian sang at Civil Rights movements, which meant that she believed everyone should have equal rights and that she took action for what she believed in. Marian Anderson accomplished many things in her life. She won a contest against 300 people when she was still very young. This led to more performances and when she was much older, she got so good that she was invited to perform in front of the president, Franklin Roosevelt, and first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. She then went on to perform at an Opera, get awarded a medal, participate in the Civil Rights Movement, and sing at the March on Washington. Marian was a singer, so naturally, she sang in front of big audiences. The book states, “In 1955, she became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera.” (Little Leaders Book) She was also Invited to perform at the Lincoln Memorial after being declined the ability to perform at Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall because she was black. When the public found out, they were mad, and they held an uproar led by Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor was the one who invited Marian to sing at the memorial. Also as I said before, she sang at events such as the Civil Rights Movement and the March on Washington. A quote from her is, “As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.” —Marian Anderson. This quote relates to when she wasn’t able to perform in D.C. because of her skin color. It means that people who hold other people back because of their differences probably won't get as far in life.
Marian Anderson’s life was important because she helped fight for Civil Rights, and rose above adversity. Even though Marian’s family wasn’t rich, she still accomplished great things. She participated in civil rights movements and showed other people that they can do anything if they put their mind to it. Marian was a black person, so she wasn’t as respected as other singers who lived in the past. But Marian was an accomplished musician and she was able to sing at many important events that other musicians haven’t. As I mentioned before, she sang with the New York Metropolitan opera, and was the first black person to do so. She also sang our National Anthem at president JFK’s inauguration, and was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by JFK.
Marian Anderson is an unsung hero because she did many things in her life that made her stand out against others. She performed at many important places and this made her recognized among other people. Some of these places include the Civil Rights Movements and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Her voice helped her get recognised, and with that her beliefs as well.
Marian Anderson did many great things in her life. From singing in her church choir at 6 to being the first African American to sing with the New York Metropolitan opera, you can’t deny that her life was amazing and important. She performed at Civil Rights movements and helped work towards equality for all.
Works Cited-
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Marian Anderson | American Singer.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 23 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Marian-Anderson.
Anderson, Marian, and Biography.com Editors. “Marian Anderson.” The Biography.com Website, A&E Television Networks, 19 Jan. 2018, www.biography.com/musician/marian-anderson.
Harrison, Vashti. Little Leaders : Bold Women in Black History. London, Puffin, 2019.
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