Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the legacy of Marian Anderson. The world knows the story of Marian Anderson, the legendary singer who, after being barred from performing at the DAR's Constitution Hall here in D.C. because of her race, instead sang at an open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial before more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. What is not so well known is that she was a proud daughter of Philadelphia. Born in 1897, she lived there most of her life, almost 100 years, and she is buried in the Eden Cemetery just outside of Philadelphia in Delaware County. Marian Anderson's home in south Philadelphia, which she purchased in 1924 and where she entertained famous Black musicians including Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and the like, is a museum celebrating her legacy as an outstanding artist, a champion of modern civil rights, and a true Philadelphian. Between 1925 and 1965, Marian Anderson performed opera, spirituals, and American classics in major venues across the United States and Europe. She sang at the White House in 1939, and in 1955 she became the first Black soloist to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. She served as a delegate to the U.N. Human Rights Committee and a goodwill ambassador for the United States Department of State. But the acclaimed contralto's talent was never fully recognized in her native country because of the color of her skin, until now.…”