Audience
Student
Marian Anderson
(February 27, 1897- April 8, 1993)
Anderson was deemed one of the finest contraltos of her time. She became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1955. Anderson was even invited to perform for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor as the first African American to ever receive this honor. However, D.C. Concert halls would turn down Anderson for performance since policies stated that concert halls were strictly for white performers. As a result, Eleanor Roosevelt invited Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. In 1963 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedy.
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