This Day in History: Marian Anderson Performs at Lincoln Memorial in 1939

On this day, April 9, in 1939, Marian Anderson made with a powerful concert at the Lincoln Memorial after being denied the chance to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race. The Daughters of the American Revolution had barred her, but former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt intervened—resigning from the group in protest and helping arrange the open-air performance.

First lady Eleanor Roosevelt is shown with opera singer Marian Anderson at Richmond, Va., July 2, 1939, after the first lady made a presentation of the Spingarn Medal to the singer. The medal is given to black Americans in any “honorable field of endeavor.” Occasion was conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (AP Photo)

Anderson sang before a crowd of 75,000 people, while millions more listened by radio. The concert became a defining moment in history, showcasing Anderson’s talent and resilience in the face of .

American contralto, Miss Marian Anderson, right, is shown with secretary of interior Harold Ickes before the latter introduced her to a crowd of 75,000 persons at outdoor concert on steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. (AP Photo)

Her voice echoed not only through the National Mall but also through the conscience of a nation struggling with and injustice.


Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

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