Core Question:
How did Marian Anderson overcome segregation in America?
Author: Josephine A. Escandon
School: Race Brook School
District: Orange
Overview:
Marian Andersen was a singer who overcame obstacles of segregation and prejudice during her
childhood and adult life. Through self -determination, generous family, friends and mentors, she
created opportunities to share her talent world-wide. Marion Andersen became the first African
American singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1955, but only after
experiencing personal struggles only because of the color of her skin.
Procedure:
Narrativization (where does a textbook begin to tell the story, where does it end it?).
Vivification (breathing life into a text that only mentions, or omits)
TEXTBOOK SELECTION
Connecticut Portrait
As a young girl, Marian Anderson loved to sing in the church. She grew up to become a
wonderful opera singer.
Because Marian was African American, some concert halls did not let her sing there. In the
late 1930’s, even Constitution Hall in our nation’s capital did not let her in. The first lady,
Eleanor Roosevelt, did not like this. She invited Marian to sing at the Lincoln Memorial on
Easter Sunday. Marian sang to an audience of 75,000 people.
Years later, in 1955, Marian Anderson made history. She became the first African American
singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She opened the way for many
other black artists. Marian Anderson lived the last half of her life in Danbury.
Source: Excerpt from The Connecticut Adventure, 2002 Gibbs Smith, Publisher, p.183
www.gibbs-smith.com/textbooks
Document 1 Summary:
Document 1 is a biography that describes the obstacles a talented African American female
overcame in order to achieve her dream of becoming a singer. Despite hardships and such
indignities, such as being forbidden to sing in many places in America because she was black, she
worked steadfastly at her career until she became one of the world’s best-loved singers. This
narrative describes in detail her childhood dreams, her talents, and her perseverance from a very
young age to adulthood. Marian Anderson, an African American singer, rose to fame in the 1930’s, over
thirty years before Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. She dreamed of being a
singer when she grew up. She made choices that would help her to achieve her dream as well as several
important people who influenced her to work hard, have hope, and overcome prejudice. The author of this
biography lets the reader know that Marian comes closer to her goal and people began to appreciate her
talents that her talent might be enough to help overcome their prejudice. Integrating Social Studies and
Reading with the following narrative gives the students an opportunity to make connections of the real world
Vocabulary
velvety: smooth
soprano: the highest singing voice
baritone: the second lowest singing voice for a man
Spirituals: songs of deep feeling written and traditionally sung by African Americans.
proceeds: money
Negro: African American
Source: Dinosauring, Level 4, Volume 2, Marian Anderson, Tobi Tobias,
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1993, p.378
Document 1
When Marian was just six years old, she joined the children’s choir of the church and made her first
public performance …..Her voice was deep and velvety… she could reach the high soprano notes,
and even down to the low music of the baritone. ….she learned all the different parts, not just her
own so that if a singer could not come to church on Sunday she could fill in.
After her father died, Marian took a job as a secretary in an office. But her heart was set on
singing. At eight years old, she was invited to sing in other churches and was getting $5.00 for each
gathering. ….When Marian was older she decided to take singing lesson at a music school. The
woman in charge paid no attention to her….After everyone else left, the woman said, “…we don’t
take colored!” Marian asked her mom if she was wrong to think a Negro girl could become a singer.
Her mom reassured her and said. “Of course you can be a singer, Marian. You must have faith.”
Marian performed at a concert with the main star, Roland Hayes. He was the first Negro singer to
become famous in the concert halls of American and Europe. He sang the spirituals Marian and her
people knew so well. As she listened to him sing at a concert, she suddenly realized, “His skin is
dark, like mine. And he has even sung for kings and queens. If he can, perhaps I can too.” With the
proceeds raised from this concert, she started taking music lessons.
She was introduced to Giuseppe Boghetti, a well-known voice coach with studios in Philadelphia
and New York who didn’t want any new students. But he changed his mind when he heard the
deep beauty and feeling of Marian’s grand voice. She sang in churches, colleges and small
theaters. She entered a contest of over 300 young singers and won first place.
Her career was at a stand-still when she was not invited to sing in any major concert halls. This
was because of racial prejudice and many Americans just did not want to believe that a Negro
could be an excellent concert singer. It was then that she decided to go to Europe and study with
famous singing masters. It did not matter to these people that Marian was black, and most of them
were white…. They loved her voice and they loved her. Arturo Toscanini, the famous orchestra
conductor, came to one of her concerts. He said, “A voice like yours is heard only once in a
hundred years.” She toured all over Europe. Marian poured her heart and soul of her people into
the Negro spirituals she sang. Some of the audience member rushed down the aisles and pounded
on the stage, shouting out the names of the spirituals they liked best. Never in American had she
had a welcome like this, .And yet Marian thought it was time to go back to her own country.
Finally, in December 30, 1935, she sang at Town Hall about happy and sad times, beautiful and
ugly things in the world, as well as the deepest thoughts and feelings that all people share. From
then until 1965, Marian Anderson pursued her dreams and was admired for her talents and sang in
all the important venues. She sang at Lincoln Center in front of an audience of 75,000 people, only
after being denied access to sing at Constitution Hall in 1939. Additionally, she was the first Negro
who had sung an important role at the Metropolitan as a regular company member.
IN 1965 Marian Anderson made a farewell tour of Europe and America.. As she took her last bows
from the sage, she thought, “My work is not over… I want to do something for children all over the
world – with my hands and y heart, and my soul. In a way my work is just beginning.”
Document 2 Summary
Document 2 are audio and video an excerpts of Marian Anderson performing and discussing her life
in interviews.
The first two are of Marian Anderson discussing her audition with Giuseppe Boghetti.
Because he was so busy he said that he would give her 30 minutes of his time. She explains how she
sang Deep River for him. He told her in a matter-of-fact manner that she would only need 2 years of
lessons and then she could sing for anyone anywhere. Then Marian explains her lessons and
Boghetti’s strategies to become a world famous singer. Finally, an example of Marian Anderson’s
world-wide experience performing, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" in Seoul, Korea.
Document 2
http://www.library.upenn.edu/media/music/anderson/int01b.rm
http://www.library.upenn.edu/media/music/anderson/int22b.rm
http://www.library.upenn.edu/media/music/anderson/wholeworld.rm
Source:
Marian Anderson: A Life in Song
Video and Audio Excerpts relating to Marian Anderson:
Performances, Recordings, Interviews, and Home Movies
Document 3 Summary
This video/audio shows Marian Anderson first speaking to her audience of children
from Malaysia. She assures them that they will become leaders of their country one
day and not to let hate and fear destroy them, stop them from becoming anything they
would want to be. She tells them that hate and fear are two things that children are not
born with but they are taught these things.
Teachers can give the students the words to the song before hearing Marian sing.
They can write what they think the meaning of the song is and how it can relate to their
own lives. After the song they can discuss how she shared her talent not only as a
singer giving a musical performance, but also an educational lesson for their future.
The video shows Marian Anderson performing "You've Got to Be Taught" from South
Pacific by Rodgers & Hammerstein in Malaysia
Document 3
http://www.library.upenn.edu/media/music/anderson/taught.rm
You’ve Got To Be Taught from South Pacific
You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
You've got to be taught from year to year,
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
Source:
Marian Anderson: A Life in Song
Video and Audio Excerpts relating to Marian Anderson:
Performances, Recordings, Interviews, and Home Movies
Document 4 Summary
This document is of Marian Anderson singing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at the Lincoln Memorial,
Washington, D.C., April 1939. She was first denied access to Constitution Hall by The Daughters of
the Revolution because she was black. Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady, resigned from the DAR
and requested that Marian sing at Lincoln Center.
Document 4
http://www.library.upenn.edu/media/music/anderson/lincolnVMAB.rm
Source:
Marian Anderson: A Life in Song
Video and Audio Excerpts relating to Marian Anderson:
Performances, Recordings, Interviews, and Home Movies
CAPTURE SHEET
What were some ways that Marian Anderson overcame the
obstacles of prejudice to become a world renowned
singer?
Article Title
Biography of Marian
Anderson
Notes/Important Details
Significance of Marian
Anderson’s interview with
Giuseppe Boghetti
Impressions of Marian
Anderson singing,
"He's Got the Whole World
in His Hands"
Marian Anderson’s
message to the boys before
performing "You've Got to
Be Taught" from South
Pacific by Rodgers &
Hammerstein in Malaysia
Significance of Marian
Anderson performing at
Lincoln Center in 1939 in
front of the statue of
Abraham Lincoln.
Scoring Rubric:
1 – Includes at least 3 or more details with
2 - Includes 2 details responds to all parts of the question
3 – Includes 1 detail, includes misinformation
Assessment on Marian Andersen’s life:
1.Read the directions below:
1st
Many people played and important role in Marian Anderson’s life to help her overcome
obstacles of prejudice and segregation:.
Each small group will discuss one of these persons or groups that made a difference in
her life:
Her mother, Anna Anderson
The members of the Union Baptist Church
Giuseppi Boghetti
Arturo Toscanini
The Daughters of the American Revolution
2nd
Each group will present their findings to the class.
Take notes on each presentation.
3rd
Write what do you consider the most important event in Marian Anderson’s life? Why?
What qualities do you think Marian Anderson had that helped her to make her dream
come true?
4th
Using the information from above, write a summary about how these different people
influenced the success of Marian Andersen.
2.
Write a Journal Entry pretending that you are Marian Andersen describing how she
felt that she should have been able to sing at Constitution Hall. Include what she would
have said are some character traits that she had as a professional singer?
3. Write a poem about what you dream of being one day? What actions do you think
you will need to take in order to be successful to achieve your own dream?