James Maloney: “Today marks the 58th anniversary of Marian Anderson's historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial. In addition, this year…”

“Today marks the 58th anniversary of Marian Anderson's historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial. In addition, this year is the centennial anniversary of her birth. In honor of these significant events, it's appropriate that we take a moment to pay tribute to this very special woman and a long time resident of my hometown, who is not only acclaimed for her glorious God-given voice, but for the historic contributions she made on behalf of all African-Americans. Marian Anderson, of Danbury, CT, the first African-American singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera, stands out as a leading example of African-American pride and achievement. As a young woman developing her singing career, Miss Anderson faced many obstacles, and was often the victim of racism. Probably the most widely known incident occurred in 1939, when, after triumphant appearances throughout Europe and the Soviet Union, she was prevented from performing at Washington's Constitution Hall by its owners. To apologize for that mistreatment, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt invited Miss Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, 1939. Miss Anderson proudly sang to an audience of 75,000 people, while millions more listened over national radio. Her inspirational performance that April day is considered by historians as the first crucial victory of the modern civil rights movement.”