The steps of the Lincoln Memorial were
the site of an historic concert in 1939. Marian Anderson, world-renowned opera
diva, sang to 75,000 people gathered there, an integrated crowd remarkable at a
time prior to the Civil Rights movement of mid-century. Readers learn, in this
moving picture book biography, that Anderson faced racism in subtle and overt
ways throughout her career. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt learned that
Anderson was denied, by the Daughters of the American Revolution, permission to
perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., because she was African American,
she arranged for Anderson to sing on the Mall. In When Marian Sang, author Pam Muñoz
Ryan and illustrator Brian Selznick create together an important, quietly
pitch-perfect book. Ages 7 to adult.
Related activities and interviews may be found at TeachingBooks.net.
Related activities and interviews may be found at TeachingBooks.net.
