In Danbury, Connecticut, there is a mural of Marian Anderson at her famous 1939 concert. The Daughters of the American Revolution had barred her from singing at Constitution Hall because she was Black, so Eleanor Roosevelt arranged for her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial in front of an audience of 75,000.
The mural, by an artist called Luana, positions Ms. Anderson in front of Danbury's Old Library, which is down the street from the mural. Today the building is a cultural center hosting civic organizations. Ms. Anderson had a long connection to Danbury.
Marian Anderson lived with her husband on a Danbury farm called Marianna Farm from 1943 until his death in 1986. She lived there alone until shortly before her death in 1993. The quiet farm life in Danbury offered her a place to relax and also to rehearse.
Linked to Monday Murals.
4 comments:
A great tribute to Marian Anderson. So wonderful that Eleanor Roosevelt gave her a chance to perform to such a huge audience. Thanks for participating in Monday Murals Jack.
This is a fitting tribute. I remember hearing her sing. She had a beautiful voice.
Nice bit of history.
I remember my mother telling me that story. Her grandmother had been in the DAR, but Mom had turned down an award from them because she felt they were racist and snobbish.
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