 Well, hello from the National Archives Public Programs and Education team. My name is Missy McNatt and I'm an Education Specialist in Washington, D.C. And welcome to the May National Archives Comes Alive Young Learners Program. You can find information about our future programs on the National Archives website archives.gov under a tendon event and on the National Archives Facebook page. This morning, we meet Marion Anderson, world famous singer in the 20th century. Marion Anderson is portrayed by Gillian Pertle, soprano and actor. And Miss Pertle is a strong advocate of the Marion Anderson Historical Society and the Marion Anderson House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Marion Anderson is perhaps best known for the famous Easter Sunday concert on April 9, 1939, at the Lincoln Memorial, where she performed before more than 75,000 people and millions more listened on the radio. We will learn more about how this concert came about during the program. Marion Anderson was truly a transformational figure during her lifetime. She was able to open doors to enable African Americans to overcome racial prejudice. And she lived a very quiet and dignified life and was an inspiration to people throughout the world. In the holdings of the National Archives are records related to Marion Anderson. And on this next slide, we see two of those photographs. One is the April 9th Easter Sunday concert. And the other one is a photograph of Marion Anderson with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. And First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was both a friend and a fan of Marion Anderson's. And when the Dardas of the American Revolution, the D.A.R., refused to allow Mrs. Anderson to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership to the D.A.R. in protest. And on the next slide, we see the front of the Marion Anderson House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And it is on the National Register of Historic Places. And the other photograph, we see an exhibit in the house of a beautiful gown that Ms. Anderson wore in front of her portrait. On the next slide, we have the Docs Teach activity for today's program. That's docsteach.org. And this activity features the sound recording from that very famous Easter Sunday concert. And we'll share this slide again at the end of the program. After Ms. Anderson's presentation, we will have a question and answer session with her. So please write your questions in the YouTube chat box. We have a National Archives staff member who is monitoring it, and let us know where you're watching from. This program is brought to you by the National Archives Public Programs and Education Team and the National Archives Foundation. Now, please join me in giving a very warm welcome to one of the greatest control toes of all time, Marion Anderson. Good morning, everyone. My name is Marion Anderson. I was born on February 27, 1897, here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my wonderful hometown. And I can honestly say from the very beginning, I was told that I arrived to the world with a shout during my birth. So my parents knew that my voice was going to be used for something special. It would seem that they would be right in the culmination of their thoughts in my sixth year of life. When I began singing in the church choir at my church, Union Baptist Church, a very historic church here in Philadelphia. And I had a wide range. I could sing from soprano all the way down to low tenor notes. And our choir director would seem to think that I could sing any one of those at random and would often find opportunity for me to solo in such a capacity. Singing on the choir with my singing partner at the time in the junior and children's choir. But I developed my voice over those early young formative years singing every Sunday, almost in the Union Baptist Church choir, as well as singing off here and there in different showings. We called them then. Now you would consider them pageants in the greater Philadelphia area, mostly taken by my aunt at the time as we would go to those different places. Developing as a young teenager, I would then start to sing in different choruses across the greater Philadelphia area. And I was featured a lot singing in assemblies in school. I had early influence at the time on my voice by those who recognized it, be it in the church, in the community. My very first vocal intuit and professor, Miss Patterson, or if it were in my high school from my principal recognizing my voice and then deciding that upon my graduation, it would be best that I would be introduced to a wonderful gentleman who would help further develop the scope of my sound and instrument. And his name was Mr. Giuseppe Bogetti, such a dynamic vocal coach who was known very far and had quite a many students, so many that he felt he had no room for anymore. But I sang for him nervously, I should say, deep river, a spiritual that's very dear to my heart and that I held my entire lifetime and career. And when I sang deep river for him, that rich spiritual, he said he would make room for me immediately, but it would not be a free experience. It would not be something that was cheaply put together, it was quite expensive to study with Mr. Bogetti at the time, $50 a month. And certainly coming from humble means, our family did not have that sum to do so. And we were wondering what was going to happen, how we were going to be able to make the sacrifice for me to get the lessons to study with such a great man. But it was the community at large, the community that I was living here in South Philadelphia that all came together for me, the church family at Union Baptist Church, the YWCA, the first YWCA in the United States here in Philadelphia. It was the historic African American news publication, the Philadelphia Tribune. All of these people came together to try to help support, raise money through wonderful recitals and performances that were given, bake sales and raffles, church collections, anything that they could do to help myself and my family raise the amount that we needed to be able to do that. We needed to be able to provide for my lessons. And it was then, in fact, certainly that after all of that sacrifice, we had enough money to pay Mr. Giuseppe Bogetti for my vocal lessons for quite some time. And I still, from the bottom of my heart, am so very grateful for all the sacrifices that my community made for me to study. And to train with Mr. Bogetti. It was such a new and exciting experience to be able to be in Mr. Bogetti's studio and to be able to learn to free my voice and to train it, to be able to sing not just the American patriotic and the spirituals and hymns that I had been singing and performing, but we began to learn and study the classics. And I must tell you, with that particular exposure and experience that Mr. Bogetti gave me, along with having the most wonderful inspiration of hearing wonderful singers that would come into Philadelphia and perform like Mr. Rowland Hayes, quite a wonderful man, exceptional black tenor who was making the entire of the city and community proud as he performed classical pieces, not just across the United States, but over in Europe. And he took a great deal of interest in me as a young pupil in music. And he suggested that I should not only begin singing on spring programming that he would have in concerting at the Union Baptist Church every season that he would come back, but also that I should begin studying more and taking private lessons and even considering studying abroad, a thought at the time that my mother and my grandmother would feel that was a little beyond me and out of the question at that point. But certainly one that Mr. Rowland Hayes would eventually continue to drumbeat for such a time would be coming my way. Music continued to be a great love for me and study, though times were hard for the family. We had lost my father to a very unfortunate death that he suffered while working at the historic Reading Terminal here in Philadelphia, the original railway station that would take you from Philadelphia into the south and midwest and western parts of the United States. So with my mother's sacrifice with not just myself, but my two sibling sisters raising us and keeping a household together along with my grandmother, it was a lot to be able to maintain and I wanted to help my mother at every turn. And I felt responsible as the eldest, so I would have my lessons and have my schoolwork, but I would also try to assist my mother in every way possible by taking in laundry and scrubbing stairs and anything that could be done to help the family along. And with the help of Mr. Bogetti, I was able to get more and more opportunity for recitaling and performance, whether it was at New York with the New York Symphony. I was so nervous, I couldn't imagine or believing that out of all of those voices and those trained vocalists coming to sing and perform, including Emil Fernando. I would be able to be chosen to perform at the Lewishin Stadium and actually get the prize and win in performance, but I did. And with the support and encouragement of Mr. Bogetti and my family in the community, it was wonderful events like that that would push forward my life and my career. I had no illusions about the fact that even though I was trying to succeed in an industry that didn't have those who looked like me in it being a colored woman during that time. It was the Jim Crow era in the United States legalized segregation. And even when we started our first United States Midway tour with my then accompanist and arranger Mr. William Billy King traveling across the United States in the south and in the Midwest. It was quite a harrowing experience. Quite saddened to say that the segregation and separation that existed on the trains for where we should sit where we should eat our lodgings and where we should stay in the different cities and the towns that we would perform in the churches and in the theater spaces. Everything was separate and it was very hard to try to get along. But we did perform at those places so much to the fact with the help of William Billy King and his connections that each one of those stops three to four maybe performances per city in town. We were able to raise enough money to the sum for me to be able to purchase this very home that my family my mother my two sisters and myself were able to call a place of our own in a home of our own 762 South Martin Street. What a wonderful feeling it was I'll always remember being able to purchase this great home and move from our grandmother's house to this beautiful sanctuary of a place. Once we were getting settled here in the house I figured that I saw other young ladies in the community and in the city applying for an attending college and I had always wanted to try to go to college to study music on a higher academia level. And Mr. Bogey always encouraged me to do so. And he was so supportive in continuing my music lessons and studying and the tutelage that I had with him. I tried to apply for the Philadelphia Music and Art Academy. But I was rejected by them even filling out an application. The young lady at the admissions desk said that they would never accept any colored at their institution and she would not even take my application that I filled out. I felt most rejected and how someone who was surrounded by music every day could have such a sour disposition and not understand that it was at the heart of studying music and art and not our color that should separate us. I felt most rejected and that the earth around me had fallen in and I didn't know if I should go forward with it. But my dear beloved mother encouraged me and said dear darling there will be a way there will come a day when an open door will be led. And my mother was not wrong for with the help of Mr. Bogey and the Rosenwald Foundation. I was able to get a scholarship to be able to study abroad. Now, if you remember that early on Mr. Rowland Hay suggested that I should study over in Europe, a trend that was going along with people of color whether in study or performance, receiving that artistic freedom over there and not being judged by the color of your skin. And though my grandmother had still great trepidation, we had the scholarship opportunity and disability and she and my mother both agreed that it was time. And in the fall of 1928 I boarded that Queen Mary ship most nervously saying a tearful goodbye to my loved ones and I set sail for Europe. And I land over there in London with the great help of guidance by Mr. and Mrs. Innan Wald at the time. And I was able to plant my footing with the connections that I had received by Mr. Bogey and Mr. Rowland Hay's and a few others who guided my footsteps there and gave early support to me while I was studying the classics with the margin. Masters of classical music at the time, and while doing so having the opportunity to be exposed to an entirely new environment and hear the freeing of my voice without necessarily so much the judgment of the color of my skin. And though those times were not very easy for me initially either, I had to plant my own footing with not only my study and performance but also paying for my first few concerts at the time during that season on my own because I was an unknown. But I tried to put my best foot forward musically and study as hard as I could and the languages at the time, whether it were the Italian and the German and all to the point where after those first few concerts and going and reading the reviews in the newspaper. It was obvious that the Marion Anderson that no one had heard of was catching on in Europe, and time just blew by from 28 to 29 into the early 30s. And the studying was growing and meeting the people who would shape and mold and guide what would become of me at the time, whether it was Mr. Sibelius, Mr. Arturo Tuscagnini, who I could not believe came backstage from one of my performances and would proclaim that my voice was the own voice of a century. And I must tell you, I don't think that Mr. Arturo Tuscagnini ever knew that to be a quote that would last a lifetime, but certainly it did. And when I was signed to what would be my eventual management company with Mr. Spau Hurok, they took that very seriously and to heart and used it to go forward to propel what would be my career. I was becoming wildly popular in Europe, but coming back to the United States was inevitable. I was an American, and I must return to my country. I must return to my people. I felt that those who had supported me for so long. I needed to come back to sing for them and to show them what I've made of myself. And I did. And I came back and performed a season, and then another season. And then Mr. Sau Hurok said it was time to have a formal introduction and performance to the United States, being this triumph and success. And these management dates had been set up all across the United States for me. I was so wound up in the music and the touring. I had not even heard of detail of things that had been going on in late of 1938, which was to be a concert that was co-sponsored by Howard University and put on. And the management company wanted to have it at Constitution Hall. Now, this Constitution Hall concert was to be a wonderful culmination and celebration of our vocal achievements to this date. But unbeknownst to me of detail, the Constitution Hall was being owned by an organization known as the Daughters of American Revolution. At that time, they had a certain statute that no persons of color, no one who looked like me and of my race would be permitted to perform on that stage. And I wasn't made aware of this until a reporter came up to me in California and asked me for a statement and how I felt about being cast out and rejected from such a stage and organization. And I simply said, as I was shocked and stunned at the time to know that I couldn't imagine of having such an edict and misfortune placed a part on someone because of the color of their skin and that they could refer to my management for any other statement. The situation of the DAR became quite a whirlwind so very fast. I was not aware of how much wildfire it would take upon it. I certainly knew that even with this horrible rejection, because I've experienced so many rejections before already in my life's time, that certainly there would be a way and door would open with the faith that I had that someone would raise up to help again and a way would be made. I did not know at the time that our great First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt was a member honorary of the Daughters of American Revolution, and that when she heard of the difficulty of what happened after being made aware of this by the then president of the NAACP, Mr. Walter White, that our First Lady felt ashamed and embarrassed and felt that she could not belong to such an organization that would discriminate in such a manner. And therefore she resigned from that organization and said she could not be a part of it anymore. She contacted me and my mother in management concerning all of this matter. And she also contacted Mr. Harold Ickes, who was the conservator of the United States Department of Interior at the time. And my mother and I were invited to come to the White House upon the invitation of the First Lady and the president, Roosevelt. And along with all of this were protests and people speaking out against the fact that I had been rejected to perform at Constitution Hall. All of this happening at one time and then an idea to come about through Mr. Walter White, our First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Mr. Harold Ickes, that if a rejection were going to happen, that an alternative that could take place is to give the concert to everyone, that it would be an open setting for everyone to enjoy on one day in open air. What they felt would be a symbol of purity and peace, an Easter Sunday concert in 1939. A symbolic gesture that would happen at one of the most honored, treasured landmarks that our nation had during that time, not so old it was the Lincoln Memorial. Well, I must say, I was quite shocked and surprised because such a venue to take place so large in its scale, the meaning, the importance of it, would I be able to meet the moment. Everything that meant it seemed as though not just a concert anymore, but a symbol of my people I had become and all that that could mean would wait upon my shoulders. And I didn't know I questioned myself whether or not I could be able to do it, pull it off. But I had the confidence of my dear mother, and my family, and my church family, and those that supported me here in Philadelphia and New York City, and Washington DC, and those who had adopted me through my sorority as I was made honorary of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority incorporated in all those sisters and the NAACP and the First Lady and President. I had to stand and meet the moment. We came together with the program. And it was that nervous travel on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. We arrived early that morning to do a sound check there on those steps with the beautiful grand piano. And it was a moment to drink in from the heavenly sky. But quite a different moment once the event were to begin. And I heard tell before coming out on those steps that there was a large crowd as far as the eye could see they didn't initially tell me the number. But I gave an anxious sigh, knowing that the moment was here. It had arrived. And when Mr. Harold Ickes gave the introduction, and it was time for me to go on. And I stood at the top of the steps and began to walk down. The breath that left my body. My heart was beating so hard inside of me. I couldn't even imagine the words of the first part of the song of the program, America. Would it leave me? My country is of thee. Sweet land of liberty for thee we sing. That day, I decided to amend the words as to represent us all united. Instead of I, we sing. As far as my eye could see in a semi circle all around the reflecting pools of the Lincoln Memorial stood men, women and children of all colors in races and creeds there to hear a concert on the beloved Easter Sunday afternoon. My heart lightened as the program went along, and I was able to see from the friendly faces in the crowd, those who were encouraging and cheering me on and made me feel special enough to keep going and continue. It was about the moment, about the music, about the time and about what we were saying in a statement as Americans, as people coming together. That day, my life changed in a similar way. I wasn't just Marion Anderson anymore. Colored young lady singer from Philadelphia. I was Marion Anderson, a symbol of my people. A symbol of what it could be to succeed as a person of color, Negro race in this country. And it had such a different meaning. My life, all I wanted to do was sing and not have people look upon me in any way but to judge me on my voice and my talent. I wanted the opportunity in the door to be open so that others would not have to experience the hardship that I did, would not have to be put down, or would not have to be cast aside because of the color of their skin for the dreams that they wanted to achieve as a person, as a human. I have great faith in my people, in the people of this country that one day that is what the belief will be, that is what the thought will be, that is what life will be. The Lincoln Memorial would continue to have an ever-woven theme in my life for the success of my career and performance, many times over, being able to sing in performance back at the Lincoln Memorial at the request of the president of that time. And then also, again, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, who personally asked me to attend his I Have a Dream speech, his march on Washington. And though that day was filled with so much buildup and anticipation and excitement and so many people, and it was such a backup and a jam, I have to tell you, I was stuck in traffic and running late when I got there. I was so relieved and was able to address the crowd yet again and sing, he's got the whole world in his hand. The history of the Lincoln Memorial will always loom heavy in my heart and in my life and in my story for the Lincoln Memorial's ancient and marbled, wonderful, sacred space. It was that of life-changing moments for this country, historic moments for this country, and I'm so honored that I had the opportunity to be a part of them in the capacities that I did, representing togetherness and equality and love and support for one's dreams. For humanity. I am honored to be a part of this celebration and this program with you today. Thank you so very much. Ms. Anderson, we have a few questions for you. One is, did you feel that that concert at the Lincoln Memorial changed people's perception of you as a singer and also did it make a difference in your career as well? Did you get more offers, especially in the United States? The Lincoln Memorial concert was a plateau for me that expanded not only my life as a person and who I was and what I represented, but as a career altogether. For it was not just heard with two million on the radio listening, but those around the world who would eventually hear and know the story of what happened and it caught on and surely it increased my traveling and performance experience and tour around the world. And it kept me going for such a long time. It was what I was known best for around the world for such a long time. And certainly I wanted to have that mark, but also continue for people to see me as an artist and grow and develop from there, not just be known for that one concert, but everything that I could bring to the art of classical music. And would I would think have uplifted many who were there that day on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and who gathered for that concert. So many people came up to me and said how inspired they were by the concert, how wonderful it was for them to be there and experience the spirit of the day and the music I received so many letters from across the country of people being appreciative of being able to just hear and know and feel that they were proud of me for what I was doing. Those letters meant a great deal to me. Well, thank you. And another question. It said that you were you were able to forgive the DAR for what they did. Is is that the case? So did you reconcile yourself with the organization? Though it was very hard to endure and to feel particular hurt and sorrow through the rejection because of race, I always have had the belief that you cannot hold on to hate. You must let it go because if you hold on to hate and anger in your heart, you could not live a full and fulfilled life. So I forgave the DAR in my heart for what they did against me a long time ago. That did not necessarily mean that I wanted to associate with people that displayed hate or malice against me, but I had to let that anger and that hate go and forgiveness in my heart. Later on, it would be that I had the opportunity upon their formal official apology to me publicly to be able to have the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall a few times later on in my career before retirement. But again, holding on to hate and anger will be of no help to one's heart and one soul. One must let that go in order to have a successful and peaceful life. And actually that kind of brings us up with our last question. We are getting close to being out of time. What advice do you as Mary and Anderson have for young people today? Young people must hold fast to their dreams. They must never give up on the talent and the dream that they have of succeeding with the talent that God has given them. They must push forward. They must have a belief that there is a way for it to be done. If they study hard enough, if they work hard enough and long enough, and if they believe in themselves and they believe in the ability that they have with that talent, they will succeed for the positivity of finding a way it will come. You cannot give up. You must never give up. And the days will be hard. There will be times when you feel that it is too much to bear. But I am an example for you to remember Mary and Anderson never gave up. You must never give up. There's always a way someone will always come to your aid to help you along with realizing your dream that you have put all of your time and heart and hard work and dedication into making sure that you never give up. Never give up on your dream. Well, thank you. And thank you so very much for joining us today. And you are certainly an inspiration to people of all ages. No question about it. So thank you again. And as I mentioned before, we will look at the DocsTeach activity. So please check it out. Well, first of all, yes, again bringing up the Mary and Anderson house in Philadelphia. It is not open right now because of repairs that are needed due to flooding. But you can go to the website and you can check out the website Mary and Anderson Historical Society so that you can get a sense of what it's what's going on there and how perhaps you might be able to help to get this house open again. And then next we have that DocsTeach activity. Check it out. It does have the sound recording from that concert. And I wish we had had more time because this hurdle has a beautiful voice. We'd love to have her sing those songs or part of those songs as well. But do check out this DocsTeach activity and you can hear Mary and Anderson singing. And then thank you so much. Thanks. And then continuing. So this month Memorial Day weekend on 2022 is the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. So, you know, that was of course brought in with Mary and Anderson's amazing concert there. But on Monday, this Monday, May 23rd, we have author Linda Booth Sweeney who will read to us from her book, my name and maker Daniel Chester French in the Lincoln Memorial, learn about the sculptor who created that amazing sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, and also we'll meet a park ranger at the Lincoln Memorial to learn a little bit more about what a park ranger does. So please join us Monday, May 23rd at 11am. And finally, next month our National Archives Comes Alive Young Learners Program is in Thursday, June 16th, and we are featuring Thomas Edison. So come back if you can, we'd love to have you. And thank you for all those who joined us today. I wish you all a wonderful afternoon.