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Voice of Freedom

"Turbulent Times Turned an Artist into a Hero"

On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on the walls of the monument behind her were the words “all men are created equal.” Barred from performing in Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson would sing for the American people in the open air. Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe and widely celebrated by both white and black audiences at home, her fame hadn’t been enough to spare her from the indignities and outright violence of racism and segregation.

Top Cast

  • Marian Anderson

    Marian Anderson

    Self (archive footage)

  • Renée Elise Goldsberry

    Renée Elise Goldsberry

    Narrator (voice)

  • Allida M. Black

    Allida M. Black

    herself

  • Angela Brown

    Angela Brown

    herself

  • Lucy Caplan

    Lucy Caplan

    herself

  • Alisha Lola Jones

    Alisha Lola Jones

    herself

  • Adriane Lentz-Smith

    Adriane Lentz-Smith

    herself

  • Carol Oja

    Carol Oja

    herself

  • Jillian Patricia Pirtle

    Jillian Patricia Pirtle

    herself

Overview

On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on the walls of the monument behind her were the words “all men are created equal.” Barred from performing in Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson would sing for the American people in the open air. Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe and widely celebrated by both white and black audiences at home, her fame hadn’t been enough to spare her from the indignities and outright violence of racism and segregation.

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