Marian Anderson

Photo credit findagrave.com

Photo credit biography.com

Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897. She was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began singing in her church choir. She was soon recognized as a true talent, and was given lessons in high school and began to succeed in music. When she applied to go to Philadelphia Music Academy to learn opera, they declined her saying, "We don't take colored." She took private lessons and was very proficient at opera. She tried to book places to sing in the United States, but was typically turned down because of her race. She went to Europe and toured all over the continent, winning the hearts of all who heard her. As her popularity grew, she began to get more shows in the U.S. She was very involved in the Civil Rights movement, singing for integrated audiences. She sang for many years, and announced her farewell tour in 1964. In her lifetime she received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement and honorary doctoral degrees from Howard University, Temple University, and Smith College. She died  on April 8, 1993, of congestive heart failure. She was an amazing opera singer and civil rights activist who was passionate about what she believed. Here's a video of her performance of Ave Maria.
Arias