Happy Birthday Marian Anderson! βπ "Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 β April 8, 1993) was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth said: "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty." With the aid of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. She sang before a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. Anderson continued to break barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955. " Wikipedia.com and AzQuotes.com #theslaymagazine #QOTDBySlay #mariananderson #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #africanamerican #melanin #african #happybirthday #singer #opera #azquotes #wikipedia @charlynichole