WOMEN IN HISTORY - MARIAN ANDERSON
African American Contralto
DATE OF BIRTH
February 27, 1897
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PLACE OF BIRTH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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DATE OF DEATH
April 8, 1993
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PLACE OF DEATH
Portland, Oregon
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FAMILY BACKGROUND
Marion was the eldest of three daughters born to John Berkley Anderson and Annie Delilah Rucker. She began singing in the Union Baptist Church at the age of six, and by the age of 10, with the help of her Aunt Mary, sang for local functions billed as “The Baby Contralto.”
EDUCATION
Having completed grammar school, her family was not able to finance high school, or music lessons, but her church stepped in and helped raise money for music lessons. She studied first with Agnes Reifsnyder, then Giuseppe Boghetti, after being denied admission to the Philadelphia Musical Academy because of her race.
She was awarded many scholarships through competitions, which allowed her to continue her study, besides performing across the country, and later, the world.
She was awarded many scholarships through competitions, which allowed her to continue her study, besides performing across the country, and later, the world.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Marian was an African-American Contralto known for bridging racial gaps through singing classical, opera and spirituals. She was described as having “a voice that comes around once in a lifetime.” She is best known for her concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, that was arranged with the help of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt after being denied the use of Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. The concert was attended by an integrated crowd of over 175,000 people, with millions listening by radio. Though self-proclaimed as a non-confrontational person, she used her music to educate audiences by her grace, eloquence and repertoire. Along with many successful European tours, she later toured the world as a Good Will Ambassador to the United Nations where she was able to share the African-American struggle through stories and song.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- National award of freedom
- Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1939: NAACP Spingarn Medal
- 1963: Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1973: University of Pennsylvania Glee Club Award of Merit
- 1973: National Women's Hall of Fame
- 1977: United Nations Peace Prize
- 1977: New York City – Handel Medallion
- 1977: Congressional Gold Medal
- 1978: Kennedy Center Honors
- 1980: United States Treasury Department gold commemorative medal
- 1984: Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award of the City of New York
- 1986: National Medal of Arts
- 1991: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Honorary doctorate from Howard University, Temple University, Smith College
QUOTE
[On prejudice]: "Sometimes, it's like a hair across your cheek. You can't see it, you can't find it with your fingers, but you keep brushing at it because the feel of it is irritating." ~ Marian Anderson
CITATION
This page may be cited as:
Women in History. Marian Anderson biography. Last Updated: 11/12/2023. Women In History Ohio.
<http://www.womeninhistoryohio.com/marian-anderson.html>
Women in History. Marian Anderson biography. Last Updated: 11/12/2023. Women In History Ohio.
<http://www.womeninhistoryohio.com/marian-anderson.html>