Marian Anderson Article Reflection: Donecia Mouring

Lifting Her Voice to Sing

Marian Anderson is known for being one of the finest contraltos or her time. Through her career, she was able to host a concert at Howard University, she was invited to sing at the Lincoln Memorial by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on Resurrection Sunday. On this day, it is stated that Anderson set the stage for the civil rights era. The article also states that Anderson closed the recital with “My Soul is Anchored in the Lord,” a Negro Spiritual by Florence B. Prince. Anderson used her musical talent and her collaboration with black composers as a political strategy to express black nationalism. Her voice paved the way in amplifying the voice of many black women. She was indeed a black woman advocate through her performance.  The movements we have today such as #BLACKLIVESMATTER and #SAYHERNAME are present demonstrations of the power that Anderson presented when she performed the piece by Florence B. at Lincoln Memorial. Her actions gave hope and confidence to allow women now to speak in what they believe in and lift their own voices. The action of Black composers collaborating with concert musicians and setting folk musics for the concert performance was a political strategy to express black nationalism. This action was sort of a rebuttal to the norm of the expectations of the white men and women back then, which is why it was and still is so important.  This action was used the weaken and break the barriers that African Americans faced. Anderson paved the way for black women, black feminist, and black advocates during this era and opened doors for those women to embrace who they are and fight for what they believe in today.

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