LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - DECEMBER 15, 2019 by Lynne Belluscio Tonight, on Channel 21 there was a program about Marian Anderson, the famous contralto singer who in 1939 was barred from singing in Constitution Hall in Washing- ton because she was African American. The Daughters of the American Revolution – the DAR- owned Constitution Hall and they would not allow any African American to perform in Constitution Hall. In fact, at that time most of Washing- ton DC was segregated, in- cluding schools, buses, trains and public offices. Once the news spread, many women resigned from the DAR. Ap- parently, the LeRoy DAR sent communication to the DAR in Washington stating their dis- approval of the decision to bar Anderson from Constitution Hall. In the files of the His- torical Society is a letter from Clare Booth Luce commending them on their stand. Luce was the well-known author, actress, politician and wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune and Sports Illustrated. She also resigned her DAR membership. First Lady El- eanor Roosevelt also rebuked the DAR and resigned her membership. She and her hus- band made it possible for Mar- ian Anderson to hold a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on Easter Sunday,April 9, 1939. It was estimated that 75,000 people filled the mall from the Lincoln Memorial to the Wash- ington Monument. Millions heard her on the radio. Marian took the stage standing next to her accompanist. The first song that she sang was “My Coun- try ‘Tis of Thee.” And when she reached the words “Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing,” she changed it to “Sweet land of liberty, To thee I sing.” Four years later, Anderson was invit- ed to sing at Constitution Hall and she accepted. The recital took place on January 7, 1943. All the proceeds were donat- ed to the United China Relief, a wartime aid charity. It was said that Anderson’s choice of the China relief fund was a reminder that another African American, Paul Robeson, had been denied use of Constitu- tion Hall to raise money for the China Relief Fund. Anderson would return to Constitution Hall several more times, where she chose to begin her 1964 Farewell. MarianAnderson was born in 1897, and had grown up in Philadelphia. Her father died when she was young and her mother did not have the money to send her to high school. No music school would accept an African American girl, so she studied music privately. She won a singing competition with the New York Philhar- monic and in 1933 made her debut in Europe. Her populari- ty and success on the Continent propelled her to international fame. While touring in Nor- way, Jean Sibelius invited her to his home. He told Marian that he believed that “she had been able to penetrate the Nor- dic sole.” Sibelius altered and composed songs for Anderson to perform and he rearranged the song “Solitude” and dedi- cated it to her. Throughout her life, Mar- ian chose to remain positive about controversial issues. She said: “ As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.” In 1957, she sang for Dwight Eisenhower’s inaugu- ration and served as a goodwill ambassador for the State De- partment. She was designated a delegate to the United Nations. She sang for President Kenne- dy’s inauguration in 1962 and gave benefit concerts for the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1963, she sang at the March on Washington. She was one of the original 31 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Free- dom. As they say, all politics are local politics – and so too, all history is local history. Once again, here is a story of nation- al importance and the DAR of LeRoy made it clear that they did not agree with segregation. Sadly, they received hate mail for their opinion. In our files is an unsigned postcard filled with racial slurs. To Thee We Sing Marian Anderson CUSTOMIZED T-SHIRTS • HATS • JACKETS • TOWELS EMBROIDERY MAKES GREAT GIFTS FOR YOUR FAMILY • FRIENDS • ETC. 1 Church St. | LeRoy, NY 14482 | 768-2201 | www.lpgraphics.net