by JTD7, Ardmore, PA

Philadelphia-born contralto Marian Anderson was considered by many critics to be the greatest contralto of her generation, but in 1939 her agent was unable to book a recital for her at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Marian Anderson was black, and the Daughters of the American Revolution standard contract for the hall stipulated “concert by white artists only.”

In the resulting furor, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned in protest from the DAR, and was instrumental in arranging a recital by Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial. The recital was held on Easter Sunday, 1939 and was attended by an estimated 75,000 people. Marian Anderson opened with a heartfelt rendition of “My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing.”

The quiet but determined dignity with which Marian Anderson advanced her talent opened doors, and in 1955 she became the first black singer to perform a principal role at the Metropolitan Opera. In her autobiography “My Lord, What A Morning” she wrote:

“There are many persons ready to do what is right because in their hearts they know it is right. But they hesitate, waiting for the other fellow to make the first move — and he, in turn, waits for you. The minute a person whose word means a great deal dares to take the open-hearted and courageous way, many others follow.”