Q: Which celebrated singer began performing at such a young age that she was nicknamed “The Baby Contralto?” Hint: one of her most famous performances was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.
A: Marian Anderson’s musical career began quite early, at Union Baptist Church in South Philadelphia. She joined the choir at age six. Before long, she was nicknamed “The Baby Contralto.” When she was eight, her father bought a piano from his brother, but they could not afford any lessons so Marian taught herself. In 1939, Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Anderson to sing before an integrated audience at Constitution Hall in DC. President and First Lady Roosevelt and Walter White of the NAACP persuaded the Secretary of the Interior to allow Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial instead. An integrated audience of 75,000 attended the concert and millions more listened on the radio.
