Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was born in 1897 in Philadelphia and grew up singing at church functions. Despite her talent, her application to the Philadelphia Music Academy was rejected because she was black. Anderson got her big break when she won a singing competition sponsored by the New York Philharmonic in 1925. She then launched a successful European singing tour. In 1939, Anderson performed an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of more than 75,000 and a national radio audience. Anderson broke many racial barriers, including becoming the first black person to perform at the NYC’s Metropolitan Opera, in 1955.