You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2009.
“I forgave the DAR years ago. You lose a lot of time hating people.” Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was a remarkable woman of many achievements in her lifetime. Her voice was so amazing that as a child her neighbors raised money for her to study formally with a famous voice teacher. The great Arturo Toscanini said to her, “A voice like yours only comes along every one hundred years.”
The refusal of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) to let her perform at Constitution Hall in 1939 thrust her into the international spotlight. Eleanor Roosevelt was outraged and arranged for Ms. Anderson to perform on Easter Sunday 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Ms. Anderson enthralled an estimated crowd of 75,000 people and millions more who listened via radio. President and Mrs. Roosevelt also invited her to sing at the White House, the first Black performer to do so. She became a force in the movement to break down racial barriers faced by all artists of color.
“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” Mohandas Gandhi
A group of determined people founded the Salvation Army based on faith and a passionate desire to help others. Author Warren Maye wanted to give voice to unsung heroes who helped build that organization. Read about his research and book.
“A Black woman can invent something for the benefit of human kind.” Bessie Blount
Bessie Virginia Blount Griffin was a physical therapist, inventor and forensic scientist. She was the first African-American woman to work at Scotland Yard in England in 1977. Read about this remarkable history maker’s invention to help wounded soldiers feed themselves during World War II.
