Marian Anderson, born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897, grew from "the baby contralto" to "the voice of the century." | American Experience | PBS

In 1939, Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a crowd of 75,000. She had been prevented from singing at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because she was Black. #BlackMusicMonth | The Legal Defense Fund

On this day in 1939, Marian Anderson sang a public concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She was originally slated to use Constitution Hall, but the DAR barred Anderson, citing their white-artists-only clause. Sound ON 🔊 to hear her powerful performance in a clip from Smithsonian Spotlight: Scurlock Studio. https://bit.ly/2Fc1J3z | Smithsonian Channel

Anchored by key performances in her career, "Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands" shows how her quiet genius and breathtaking voice set the stage for Black performers in classical music. Later, she brought her resolute character to the fight for civil rights. "Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands" premieres February 8 at 9/8c on PBS. [VID: Archival footage and photographs of Marian Anderson with voiceover from experts and Anderson herself. Transcript: She was the first African