Considering a talk about one of America's inspiring civil rights leaders?

 

Marian Anderson was a pioneering vocalist and civil rights activist whose influence shaped America. Born in Philadelphia, she postponed her high school education to support her family. She was Inspired by the famous tenor Roland Hayes and others; she pursued her passion for music, initially trained by renowned voice instructor Giuseppe Boghetti with the help of her principal and later internationally schooled with the help of the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Her international career blossomed.

 

Returning to America and despite facing Jim Crow discrimination, she achieved international acclaim and performed at the Lincoln Memorial because of the intervention of the US president’s wife. An advocate for the NAACP, she fought against segregated audiences, breaking barriers so that others could follow, and inspired many others, regardless of their color, to pursue their dreams.

 

During her career, Anderson sang for presidents and royalty, as well as in concert halls for people earning accolades like the Medal of Freedom and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her legacy is marked by her exceptional talent, humility, and self-respect, using those talents to break barriers.

 

Join storyteller John Cilio as he highlights Marian Anderson's remarkable journey in the classical music world and her profound impact on the civil rights movement.