Singing for Civil Rights

Seventy years ago today, the great contralto Marian Anderson took to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Banned, because she was African-American, from singing at D.C.’s most famous concert hall (the inaptly named “Constitution Hall”) her voice soared outdoors, heard by an audience of 75,000, that included all manner of people, as well as many national political leaders.  She did not stray from her usual concert repertoire, a mix of classical selections and African-American spirituals, but the significance of the events that led her to sing on the Mall was subtly underscored by her stirring rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”

One young person, not in attendance that day, was touched: a 15-year old Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote of the concert in his submission to an essay contest “The Negro and the Constitution,” and made the link explicit, via the lyrics of “My Country,” in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech delivered from the same spot in 1963.

Just one bit of reflection from a person who was too young to attend either event: it has always struck me that a significant portion of why racism has lessened over the years is not explained by the work of activists, lawyers, and judges.  Rather it was the ability of the world of entertainment (music and sports) to bring blacks and whites together in what was often less charged settings and taught Americans that many differences were only skin deep.  Today we celebrate the anniversary of one of those great gatherings.